Kevin Garnett is considered right up there with the basketball greats – Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James – but like Kobe and MJ, Garnett’s NBA career is over as he announced his retirement earlier this month on Instagram. Here’s a look at who Kevin Garnett is, his career, and why he’s considered among the basketball greats:
A South Carolina native, in high school, Garnett was a 1995 McDonald’s All American and won a National Play of the Year award. Due to an incident at his high school in South Carolina, Garnett transferred to Illinois for his senior year. There he was named Mr. Basketball for the state of Illinois. Adding to his credentials, Garnett was also named Most Outstanding Player in the McDonald’s All American game. Before Kobe and Lebron did it, Garnett set the trend by declaring for the NBA draft following his senior year, opting out of playing college ball. This is before the rule was established that players must be 19 years old during draft calender year, and at least one season has passed since graduation of high school, or if player completes college eligibility.
Being fifth pick overall, Garnett found his home in Minnesota, playing for the Timberwolves. Garnett led the Timberwolves to becoming a successful franchise until he was traded to the Boston Celtics in 2007. He won his first and only NBA championship there in 2008. Though Garnett had successful years at both the Celtics and the Timberwolves, he found himself traded again in 2013 to the Brooklyn Nets. It wasn’t long before Garnett decided to return to his first home in Minnesota in 2015 where he lived out the rest of his career.
Garnett’s successful career consists of winning an NBA championship, an Olympic gold medal, NBA most valuable player, NBA defensive player of the year, NBA All-Star Game MVP, 15-time NBA All-Star, 9-time All-NBA selection, 12-time all defensive, NBA All-Rookie selection, and the J. Walker Kennedy Citizenship Award.
But who is Kevin Garnett?
You may have recently seen him on TV off the court:
Has anyone else seen State Farm’s recent commercial? Meet the Hoopers? No good clippers? Droppin’ dimes?
Kevin Garnett is a trash talker, one of the best defensive players ever, a likeable bully, an asshole, a werido, a husband, a father, and a basketball legend. Garnett may be a basketball great, but he isn’t exactly the nicest person you’d ever meet.
Paul Pierce recalls an incident with his former teammate: “So, I remember we jumped out of the shower. Guys got dressed, and it was time to eat. And there were like some people who weren’t on the team in there — like, some doctors who we hardly ever see. We see them making a plate with the players’ food, and I just remember going over there. Kevin Garnett was over there, and he kinda knocked the plate out of his hand and said, ‘This is the players’ food!'”
Some incidents that took place on the court were when Garnett barked at an opponent, received a technical foul for blowing in a player’s ear, pretending to bite an opponent, and doing push-ups on the court in the middle of a game, just to name a few.
They don’t call him the best trash talker in the NBA for nothing. So watch out Draymond Green, Kevin Garnett did it best.
To add to his weirdness, before games, Garnett mentally prepared himself by banging his head against a padded basketball stanchion.
Doc Rivers, Garnett’s former Celtics coach, did have some nice things to say about Garnett: “He’s such a great teacher in practice. He should start a course in leadership. The NBA should designate who the best player is on each team and then they could bring Kevin in and he could teach them how to be the best player and the best leader. Better yet, they could bring him and Tim [Duncan] in and they could teach it together and show people how it can be done in two completely opposite ways.”
The 40-year-old announced his retirement, saying: “I’m just thankful. I never would’ve thought people loved me like this,” Garnett says in the black-and-white video. “We going to be all right, man. I don’t expect this to be easy, but so far, so good. Stay tuned.” He also added a caption that read, “to be continued.”
We will certainty miss watching Garnett’s weird and rude antics on the court.
Sources:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2016/09/23/kevin-garne…
http://www.sbnation.com/2016/9/24/13039048/kevin-garnett-quotes-stories-…
https://67.media.tumblr.com/890339db11c43579f3edeef08ee86a36/tumblr_n0z7…
https://67.media.tumblr.com/2fe45fc33b5d5b974c705332257f4fde/tumblr_n01e…