Kevin Garnett has announced his retirement after 21 seasons in the National Basketball Association.
Advertisement
Garnett was drafted fifth overall by the Timberwolves in 1995 and became the best player in Timberwolves franchise history, leading the team to eight straight playoff appearances from 1997 to 2005.
When the power forward returned to the Timberwolves in February of past year, it was reported by sources at ESPN that Garnett had re-joined the franchise with the intentions of owning the side following his retirement. “The Big Ticket” has played 21 seasons in the league, leaving his mark as one of the best big men in the history of the league.
The Star Tribune reports that Garnett is expected to announce his retirement soon. He has won MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, All NBA 1st Team, 2nd Team and 3rd team. From his on-court accomplishments to the Paul Bunyon-esque locker room stories that nearly seem like tall tales now, Garnett’s legacy will stand the test of time.
Above all else, though, Garnett will be remembered as the man who paved the high school-to-NBA road that brought us Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, LeBron James and a host of other players over the following decade. I wish him continued success in the next chapter of his life.
The big man worked closely with unanimous 2016 Rookie of the Year victor Karl-Anthony Towns last season, and it looks as though Garnett could continue working alongside the Timberwolves’ young, maturing roster.
The 15-time All-Star ranks 17th with 26,071 career points, ninth in career rebounds with 14,662 and 17th in blocked shots with 2,037 and was the league Most Valuable Player in 2004.
Future first-ballot Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett has officially retired from the National Basketball Association after 21 seasons in the league. Congrats on having one of the greatest careers the game has ever seen.
“I’m just thankful. I never would’ve thought people loved me like this”, Garnett says in the black-and-white video showing him wandering through an empty Target Center, where the team plays its home games.
Garnett also made more than $330 million in his career, the most by any player in league history, and owners dug their heels in during a lengthy lockout in 1997 after a 21-year-old Garnett signed a six-year, $126 million deal.
Advertisement
The Timberwolves hired Tom Thibodeau as coach and president in the offseason as well as a new general manager in Scott Layden.
