Kevin Garnett: From High School Prodigy to NBA Legend
Kevin Maurice Garnett, known as KG, made an unforgettable mark on basketball, transitioning directly from high school to a celebrated 21-season NBA career. His journey began with a promising high school career that foreshadowed his future success.
Early Life and High School Years
Born on May 19, 1976, in Greenville, South Carolina, Kevin Garnett discovered his love for basketball at Hillcrest Middle School. He began his high school career at Mauldin High School in Mauldin, South Carolina, playing for coach James “Duke” Fisher.
Transfer to Farragut Career Academy
Before his senior year, Garnett moved to Chicago and enrolled at Farragut Career Academy. This move proved pivotal, as he led Farragut to a 28-2 record. At Farragut, Garnett was a Chicago Public League Red West Division Champion in 1995 and led the Admirals (28-2) to the Illinois High School Association quarterfinal in 1995.
A Stellar Senior Season
In 1995, Garnett averaged 25.2 points, 17.9 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 6.5 blocked shots per game. His outstanding performance earned him the title of National High School Player of the Year by USA Today and Illinois Mr. Basketball. In four years of high school, Garnett posted an impressive 2,553 points, 1,809 rebounds and 737 blocked shots.
McDonald's All-American and NBA Draft
Garnett was named the Most Valuable Player at the McDonald’s All-American basketball game. His impressive workout for NBA scouts solidified his decision to declare himself eligible for the 1995 NBA draft. Garnett's high school class included future NBA stars such as Vince Carter, Paul Pierce, Antawn Jamison, Ron Mercer, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Chauncey Billups, and Stephon Marbury.
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Drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves selected Garnett as the fifth overall pick in the 1995 NBA draft. This selection made him the first player drafted directly out of high school in 20 years.
NBA Career
Early Years in Minnesota
Garnett made an immediate impact on the NBA, showcasing a mix of size, athleticism, and shooting ability. In his rookie season, Garnett and fellow newcomer Tom Gugliotta carried the scoring load. He was voted to the All-Rookie Second Team on averages of 10.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. Before the 1996-97 season, the Timberwolves made a draft-day trade for point guard Stephon Marbury. During the season, Garnett posted improved averages of 17.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.1 blocks and 1.7 steals. With a 40-42 record, the Timberwolves made their first playoff appearance in franchise history. In August 1997, Garnett and Fleisher turned down the Timberwolves' offer of a contract worth $102 million over six years. One hour before the deadline on October 1, 1997, the Timberwolves and Garnett agreed on a six-year contract extension that was worth an unparalleled $126 million. Despite the furor over his new contract, Garnett continued to improve, averaging 18.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.7 steals per game. Again, he was an All-Star, and the Timberwolves finished with their first winning record in franchise history (45-37 for the season).
Rise to Stardom
In the lockout-shortened season that followed, Garnett broke through as a superstar. Putting up stats of 20.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game, he was named to the All-NBA Third Team. In the 1999-2000 NBA season, Garnett continued his notable play, averaging 22.9 points, 11.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game. In the 2001-02 season, Garnett posted another notable season, his averages of 21.2 points, 12.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.2 steals per game enough for another All-NBA Second Team nomination.
MVP Season and Western Conference Finals
In the 2003-04 season, things finally seemed to come together for Garnett. Garnett averaged 24.2 points, 13.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.2 blocks and 1.5 steals per game for the season. Having recorded career-highs in points, rebounds, blocks and leading the league rebounds, Garnett was named the league Most Valuable Player for the first time in his career. With a franchise-record 58 wins, the Wolves stormed into the playoffs, and finally conquered their playoff bane by defeating the Denver Nuggets 4-1 in the first round. After disposing of the strong Sacramento Kings 4-3 in the Western Conference semi-finals, Garnett and the Timberwolves met the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. On January 4, 2005, Garnett scored a career high 47 points to go along with 17 rebounds in a 115-122 loss to the Phoenix Suns. He was also named to the All-NBA Second Team, but the Timberwolves failed to make the playoffs for the first time in eight years with a record of 44-38. The 2005-06 season brought more frustration for Garnett. The Timberwolves' record dropped further in 2006-07, going 32-50 that season. During the 2007 off-season, Glen Taylor admitted that although he planned on retaining Garnett, he finally listened to trade offers.
Boston Celtics Era
On July 31, 2007, 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 2009 first-round pick which Minnesota traded to Boston in the Ricky Davis-Wally Szczerbiak trade of 2006. The 7-for-1 deal constitutes the largest number of players traded for a single player in league history. On the day the trade was announced, Garnett signed a three-year, $60 million contract extension that would start after his prior deal ran out in 2009. Garnett wore jersey number 5 for the Celtics since his number with the Timberwolves, number 21, was retired by the Celtics, previously worn by Bill Sharman. He made his Boston debut with a strong performance against the Washington Wizards, with 22 points and 20 rebounds. He also led all players in voting for the 2008 NBA All-Star Game. Garnett passed 20,000 points for his career, becoming the 32nd player in NBA history to reach the mark, with a layup in the second quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies on March 8. On April 22, Garnett was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the 2007-08 season. Garnett helped the Celtics to their 17th NBA Championship, with 26 points and 14 rebounds in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. On October 31, 2008, Garnett became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 1,000 career games, at 32 years and 165 days. Garnett earned his twelfth consecutive All-Star Game start on February 15, 2009.
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Later Career
In 2013, Garnett was included in a second headline trade that sent him to the Brooklyn Nets with longtime Celtic Paul Pierce. In 2015, Garnett was traded back to Minnesota. He announced his retirement from professional basketball in September 2016. Garnett averaged a career-low 3.2 points per game during the 2015-16 season, as he played sparingly and primarily served as a mentor for the many young players on the Minnesota roster.
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