Kevin Garnett

At 47 years old, Kevin Garnett has this physical status:

Early life and high school career

Garnett was born in Greenville, South Carolina, on May 19, 1976, to Shirley Garnett. He was the second child of his mother's three children. Garnett's mother never married O'Lewis McCullough, and their relationship came to an end shortly after his father's death. Garnett grew up with his mother and stepfather, Ernest Irby, with whom he didn't get along, and two sisters.

While attending Hillcrest Middle School, Garnett fell in love with basketball but did not play organized basketball until high school. Garnett attended Mauldin High School in Mauldin, South Carolina, and was a member of the school's basketball team in his first three years of high school. Garnett was nevertheless in the middle of a battle between black and white students during his senior year of high school. Garnett was one of three students arrested for second-degree lynching, although not directly involved, on a charge that was expunged by a pre-trial investigation. Garnett left Mauldin High School and moved to Farragut Career Academy in Chicago's West Side due to the racially charged incident and fear of being a victim.

Garnett, who lived in Chicago with his sister, was the youngest High School Player of the Year by USA Today. After shooting 66.8% from the field, he was also named Mr. Basketball for the state of Illinois, scoring 25.2 points, 17.9 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 6.5 blocks. Garnett had a record-breaking 2,553 points, 1,809 rebounds, and 737 blocked shots in four years of high school. Garnett played alongside Ronnie Fields, who later became a pro basketball player, in high school. Garnett was named the Most Outstanding Player at the McDonald's All-American Game after scoring 18 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocked shots, and then announced himself eligible for the 1995 NBA draft. Garnett was named one of the 35 Best McDonald's All-American Basketball Game's 35th anniversary of basketball play at McDonald's All-American High School Boys Basketball Game. Garnett's decision not to play college basketball was influenced in part by his inability to do well enough on the ACT to meet NCAA requirements for freshman eligibility. Garnett told Student Sports Magazine in 1995 that if he went to college, he would have played basketball for the University of Maryland.

Garnett was referred by a Chicago area high school coach to Eric Fleisher, the son of first National Basketball Players Association head Larry Fleisher, to explore the possibility of going straight out of high school. The Lakeshore Athletic Club's Fleisher tried out a small tryout, where Garnett won against older, more experienced opponents. At another workout at the University of Illinois-Chicago, Fleisher ordered Detroit Pistons assistant John Hammond to conduct the drills to gauge NBA interest. Representatives from the 13 teams with lottery picks, including Kevin McHale, Elgin Baylor, Flip Saunders, and Kevin Loughery, were among them at the workout, which was also scheduled as a pre-draft tryout camp. Garnett was involved in the workout, with Garnett touching the box painted on the backboard above the rim multiple times, and McHale giving Garnett advice on shooting jump shots. William (Wolf) Nelson, his Farragut coach, gave Garnett an hour before going to the 1995 NBA Draft, winning by 970.

Professional career

Garnett was drafted with the fifth overall pick in the 1995 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves and became the first player to be drafted directly out of high school since 1975. The Timberwolves hadn't won more than 29 games in any season since being in the NBA for the 1989-90 season. The Timberwolves were in the middle of a transition period; they swapped Bill Blair with Flip Saunders as head coach early in the season and made multiple trades. Garnett came off the bench in his rookie year but quickly after Saunders took over as head coach and Sam Mitchell's urging. As a starter, averaged 14 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.26 blocks in the final 42 games of the year. Garnett and fellow newcomer Tom Gugliotta carried the scoring load in his rookie year. Garnett did not leap to fame as soon as junior prep-to-pro prospects such as Amar'e Stoudemire, LeBron James, and Dwight Howard did not appear immediately, but he did have a good rookie year. On averages of 10.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, he was voted to the All-Rookie Second Team. Despite having some promising prospects, the Timberwolves lost their seventh straight sub-30 win season and didn't make the playoffs. Garnett was the youngest NBA player in history at 19 years and 11 months old at the time.

The Timberwolves made a draft-day trade for point guard Stephon Marbury of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets before the 1996-97 season. Garnett led by 17.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.1 blocks, and 1.7 steals in the season. He had two games in which he won eight blocks. The Timberwolves made their first playoff appearance in franchise history, Garnett and Gugliotta made their first All-Star appearances, and Marbury established himself as a valuable young lead guard. However, the Houston Rockets, coached by Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, and Charles Barkley, proved too much for the Timberwolves to win 3–0 in the first round of the 1997 NBA Playoffs.

Garnett and Fleisher turned down the Timberwolves' offer of a six-year deal in August 1997. They hoped for more from them considering Alonzo Mourning of the Miami Heat's signings of $105 million over seven years and Juwan Howard with the Washington Bullets were expected to live for seven years. Garnett stayed in Fleisher's Westchester County home, north of New York City, to get out of the spotlight when talks were ongoing. The Timberwolves and Garnett decided on a six-year contract extension, worth an unprecedented $126 million one hour before the deadline on October 1st. The contract was considered a risky move, and several analysts predicted that the signing would make it impossible for the Wolves to sign new players or even keep their own. Multiple sports journalists believed Garnett's contract was a major reason of labor tensions between players and owners, which culminated in a lockout that shortened the 1998–99 NBA season. Despite the uproar surrounding his new deal, Garnett continued to flourish, scoring 18.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, and 1.7 steals per game. He was an All-Star, and the Timberwolves posted their first winning record in franchise history (45–37 on the season). The young Timberwolves failed in the first round for the second year in a row, this time losing 3–2 to the Seattle SuperSonics and superstar point guard Gary Payton. The Wolves' first-ever playoff game wins came thanks to their two victories over the Sonics. The Timberwolves' off-season started poorly, but as 20-point per game scorer Tom Gugliotta left for the Phoenix Suns, it was difficult.

Garnett came out as a hero in the lockout-shortened season that followed. He was recruited to the All-NBA Third Team with statistics such as 20.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game. However, Stephon Marbury was traded to the New Jersey Nets midway through the season. Despite the fact that Terrell Brandon, a two-time All-Star, returned to the Wolves in his second appearance, the Wolves were unable to recover and fell into the playoffs as the eighth seed with a 25–25 record. Tim Duncan, the Wolves' rookie and eventual NBA Finals MVP, was defeated in the first round for the second time. Garnett's stellar play in the 1999-2000 NBA season saw him score 22.9 points, 11.8 rebounds, 6.0 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game. Garnett made the first appearance in his four All-NBA First Team appearances and finished second in MVP polling. The Wolves put up a franchise-best 50-32 record and steady veteran Terrell Brandon, but the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 3-1 in the first round.

Malik Sealy, the Timberwolves' guard and Garnett's close friend, was killed by a drunk driver on May 20, 2000, just days after celebrating Garnett's 24th birthday. The NBA ruled that Joe Smith's free-agent contract was unconstitutional later this year. The team was suspended for one year after punishment for unlawful signing by stripping them of three first-round draft picks, fining Glen Taylor (the team's owner) $3.5 million, and suspending general manager Kevin McHale. Garnett led the Wolves to a 47–35 record and ranked second team in the All-NBA Second Team in 2000–01. The Wolves did not make it to the first round of the playoffs, losing to the Spurs 3–1.

Garnett's averages of 21.2 points, 12.1 rebounds, 5.2 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game were sufficient for another All-NBA Second Team nomination in 2001–02. However, the Timberwolves failed in the first round for the sixth straight time, this time losing by Michael Finley, Steve Nash, and Dirk Nowitzki. Garnett's second best season of his career, he earned him his second All-NBA First Team nomination and second place in MVP voting. The Timberwolves posted a respectable 51-31 record, but they didn't make it out of the first round for the seventh time in a row, this time losing 4-2 to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Garnett's life finally came together in the 2003–04 season. The Wolves had practically been a one-man display in recent years, but the Timberwolves had two lucrative buys this season: Latrell Sprewell, a highly skilled but volatile swingman, and Sam Cassell, who supplanted Troy Hudson at point guard, who had previously been a one-man show. In addition, defensive center Ervin Johnson complemented the inconsistent Michael Olowokandi. Garnett averaged 24.2 points, 13.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.2 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game, despite being backed by the best supporting cast up to this point in his career. Garnett was named the league Most Valuable Player for the first time in his career after his career of highs in points, rebounds, blocks, and leading the league rebounds. The Wolves roared into the playoffs, defeating the Denver Nuggets 4–1 in the first round, bringing an unprecedented 58 wins. Garnett and the Timberwolves met the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals after losing to the solid Sacramento Kings 4–3 in the Western Conference semi-finals. Cassell, a playmaker, was forced to recover from a back injury. With reserve point guard Hudson out of service, the Timberwolves alternated between third playmaker Darrick Martin and shooting guard Fred Hoiberg at the "one," or even running Garnett himself as point forward or a good point guard. The Los Angeles Lakers won by 4–2 in the series.

Garnett lost 115-122 to the Phoenix Suns on January 4, 2005, scoring a career-high 47 points and 17 rebounds. He was also selected to the All-NBA Second Team, but the Timberwolves failed to qualify for the first time in eight years, finishing with a record of 44–38. Garnett's 2005-06 season was even more frustrating. Sprewell's three-year, $21 million contract extension was shelved, and the Wolves, who were concerned about his injuries and age, traded Cassell for the much more efficient Marko Jari, and the team's record for 2005-06 dropped to 33–49. Despite Garnett's appearance, the team set the second-worst record since Garnett joined the franchise in the second week. The Timberwolves' record fell even more in 2006-07, going 32-51 this season. Garnett received All-NBA Third Team honors in both of his seasons.

Glen Taylor said during the 2007 offseason that although he intended on keeping Garnett, he eventually accepted trade bids. Garnett's name was mentioned in several trade rumors involving the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, and Dallas Mavericks. Garnett revealed that the Lakers, Celtics, and Suns were among his preferred trade destinations. At first, he contacted Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant about joining the team as his first top pick, but Bryant didn't respond or return the calls. "I'm just being honest with everybody," Garnett said. I wanted to connect with Kobe. I had a different link with Kobe. A lot of people went with Shaq when Kobe-Shaq did their little thing. A lot of people were not even interested in Kobe. Kobe, you know, or something. One of the few people to do so was to remain with him. Despite that, I was still a neutral guy. I'm sure you're in love with this one. I tried to connect with him but I couldn't get him to him. Originally, the Lakers had a trade system in place that involved Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum.

Garnett was traded to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff, cash considerations, Boston's 2009 first-round draft pick (top 3 protected), and the 2006 Ricky Davis–Wally Szczerbiak trade between Minnesota and Boston. The 7-for-1 contract amounts to the largest number of players traded for a single player in league history. Garnett had the longest current career with one team in the NBA at the time, having played for the Timberwolves for his first 12 seasons (a total of 927 games). Garnett said he was proud to be a part of the Celtics and wished to pass on the Celtic team's rich history and basketball triumph. Garnett agreed to a three-year, $60 million contract extension, extending his previous employment, which began in 2009. Garnett threw the ceremonial first pitch at Fenway Park on August 1, the day after signing with the Celtics, the day before, during a Red Sox-Orioles match.

Many experts predicted that the Celtics would see a revival during the 2007-08 season. Since the Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Garnett trio's combination, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Garnett were almost immediately dubbed "The Big Three" by the media. Since being drafted by the Celtics, Garnett wore jersey number 5 for the Celtics. With 22 points and 20 rebounds against the Washington Wizards, he made his Boston debut with a strong game against the Washington Wizards. He was also a leader among all participants in the 2008 NBA All-Star Game. Garnett received 2,399,148 votes, the sixth most popular vote in NBA All-Star polling history. However, Garnett was unable to play due to an abdominal strain, and Detroit Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace was drafted to replace him. Garnett's career saw him score 20,000 points, his 32nd player to reach the NBA championships, with a layup against the Memphis Grizzlies in the second quarter. Garnett was named National Defensive Player of the Year for the 2007-08 season on April 22, 2007, and he was named as the NBA Defensive Player of the Year. It was the first major award a Celtic player had not received since the franchise's establishment in 1946. Garnett said it was a team effort that culminated in him winning the award. Garnett came in third in MVP voting this year, behind only Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul. Garnett led the Celtics to their 17th NBA championship with 26 points and 14 rebounds in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Bill Russell, a Garnett and Celtics legend, formed a friendship that Garnett credited with helping him succeed during his first season as a Celtic during that championship season. Garnett and Ray Allen appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman shortly after winning the championship on June 18, 2008.

Garnett played in all of the 57 games he was able to play in the 2008–09 season. He had 15.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. Garnett made history by becoming the youngest NBA player to play 1,000 games in a row, with 32 years and 165 days between him on October 31, 2008. Garnett made his twelfth All-Star Game appearance on February 15, 2009. Garnett suffered his right knee injury during a game against the Utah Jazz late in the second quarter, despite the All-Star Game. While trying to get up for an alley-oop, the man sustained the injury on February 19, 2009. He was forced to miss the next 14 games due to his injury. In four games before being suspended for the season, he averaged nine points and 4.5 rebounds before being suspended for the remainder of the season and the 2009 playoffs due to his injured knee. He underwent knee surgery in May 2009. Without Garnett, the Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference semi-finals, but they were eliminated by the Orlando Magic.

Garnett and the Celtics, a newly signed free agent, struggled with injuries and inconsistency through much of the regular season, winning the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Garnett was chosen to participate in the 2010 NBA All-Star Game (his 13th All-Star Game pick). Despite being written off by almost every major sports analyst, the Celtics improved their play and control, and they beat opponents much as they did during their 2008 championship run. The Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Orlando Magic have all been disqualified to meet the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2010 NBA Finals. Garnett led the Cavaliers to victory in Game 6 with 22 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 assists. The 2010 Finals in Los Angeles brought the Celtics deep into the third quarter before the Lakers cameback and won with a landslide.

Garnett and the Celtics got off to a promising start in the 2010-11 NBA season, winning 23 of their first 26 games. Garnett injured his right knee when attempting to dunk on December 30, 2010. Due to the illness, he missed two weeks. Garnett returned to Orlando, Florida, on January 17, 2011. In the Eastern Conference, the Celtics finished third, behind the Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat. Garnett averaged under 15 points, under 9 rebounds, and a career low of 0.8 blocks per game. The Heat defeated the New York Knicks in the first round after sweeping the New York Knicks in the first round. Garnett's playoff high 28 points helped the Celtics win Game 3 after losing the first two games of the series. However, the Heat won the next two games, winning the series 4–1.

Garnett and the Celtics got off to a slow start in the 2011–12 NBA season, falling below.500 with a 15-17 record by the All-Star break. For the first time in 111 years, Garnett was not selected for the All-Star game. Boston, on the other hand, became one of the best teams in the league in the second half, with a 24–10 record in the second half, as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference with a 39–27 record. Boston made a good run in the playoffs, making it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. In the first round, they met the Atlanta Hawks, defeating them in six games. After a thrilling seven-game series, Boston defeated the Philadelphia 76ers. For the third time in five years, Boston defeated another superstar trio in Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James of the Miami Heat. The Celtics lost the first two games in the first two weeks, but they came back to win the next three games. The Heat were also strong in Games 6, 7, defeating the Celtics 4-3. Garnett's 192 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game indicated a revival in the playoffs.

Garnett decided on a three-year contract extension with the Celtics worth $34 million on June 30, 2012. Garnett was selected to start in the 2013 All-Star Game in Houston on January 17, 2013. Garnett won by 116–95 over the Los Angeles Lakers on February 7, 2013, marking his 25,000th point.

The Celtics announced on August 20, 2021, that Garnett's number 5 jersey would be retired in a game against the Dallas Mavericks.

The Boston Celtics, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry for future first-round picks in the 2014, 2016, and 2018 drafts, as well as Kris Humphries, Gerald Wallace, MarShon Brooks, and Keith Bogans, all reached an agreement on June 27, 2013. Jaylen Brown, one of the Celtics' picks, would eventually be the future All-Star. The contract was finally concluded on July 12, with Brooklyn also receiving D. J. White. Garnett wore number 2 to honor his former Minnesota Timberwolves teammate Malik Sealy.

Garnett reached 14,000 career rebounds on December 13, 2013, becoming the tenth player in NBA history to do so. Garnett also joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone as the only players to reach 25,000 points, 14,000 rebounds, and 5,000 assists in beating the record. In the third quarter of a 103–99 road loss to the Detroit Pistons, he reached a landmark. Garnett's leadership and passion were cherished by the Nets. Despite boasting a starting lineup of Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez, Paul Pierce, and Garnett, the Nets were unable to progress beyond the second round of the playoffs, while Garnett finished his 19th NBA season with career low averages of 6.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.

Garnett had perhaps his best game for the Nets in 35 minutes on November 1, 2014, defeating the Detroit Pistons 102-90. He had five rebounds in a 110–99 victory over the New York Knicks and, in doing so, passed Walt Bellamy for ninth on the all-time rebounding list.

Garnett decided to waive his no-trade guarantee in order to be sent back to Minnesota in exchange for Thaddeus Young on February 19, 2015. In his first game for Minnesota since 2007, he returned to the Timberwolves against the Washington Wizards at the Target Center, scoring five points on two-of-seven shooting with eight rebounds and two blocks in 19 minutes. In just five games for the Timberwolves in 2014–15, he missed the team's final 21 games of the season due to a nagging knee injury.

Garnett re-signed with the Timberwolves in July 11, 2015, a two-year contract. Garnett made history by playing at least 50,000 minutes against the Memphis Grizzlies on November 15, 2015. Garnett finished third on the NBA's career minutes list on December 1, defeating Kidd (50,110) for third. In a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, four days later, he became the 15th NBA player to reach over 26,000 career points. During Minnesota's 111-108 overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets on December 11, Garnett defeated Malone as the NBA's all-time leader in defensive rebounds. He finished the game with four defensive boards, giving him 11,409 for his career, three ahead of Malone. Garnett appeared in 38 of the team's first 45 games of the season before missing the entire second half of the season with a right knee injury, the same knee that kept him out of 25 games in 2008–09, as well as a majority of his post-trade time in Minnesota during the 2014–15 season.

Garnett resigned after 21 years in the NBA on September 23, 2016. Although Garnett expressed an interest in playing for one more season with the Timberwolves, mainly for the sake of assisting the team in the playoffs with its talented young players and new head coach, he did not know that his knees would hold up for one more season.

National team career

Garnett received a gold medal as a member of the United States national team in the 2000 Summer Olympics. Garnett averaged 10.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game in his first and only FIBA tournament.

Post-playing career

Garnett appeared on Inside the NBA in October 2016. He took over Area 21 in his own segment the following month. Garnett joined the Los Angeles Clippers as a consultant in January 2017. He played for the Milwaukee Bucks for the 2016-17 season.

In the 2019 crime drama Uncut Gems, directed by the Safdie brothers, Garnett plays a fictionalized version of himself. The film takes place in 2012 and revolves around the Eastern Conference Semi-finals tournament between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers. Garnett visits Howard Ratner's Diamond District store while playing in Philadelphia. Garnett appears to be attracted to an Ethiopian opal, which Ratner reveals. Garnett's role in the series and friendship with the Opal is the focus of the story, as well as Ratner's tumultuous personal life.

Critics also applauded Garnett's results. After a string of rewrites based on available players, the Safdie brothers selected Garnett. The pair approached Amar'e Stoudemire, who refused to cut his hair to suit the time; and Kobe Bryant, whose rep said he wanted to direct rather than act; and Joel Embiid, whose regular NBA schedule could not accommodate filming, prior to securing Garnett. Garnett was one of the first non-active people they encountered. Garnett said the shooting process "felt special, but you didn't know it."

He then signed a contract with Village Roadshow Pictures.

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