Kevin Garnett joins a growing list of future NBA Hall of Famers who won’t be returning this upcoming NBA season.
The 21-year NBA veteran announced his retirement on Friday with a farewell video of him walking alone in the Target Center. Garnett was contemplating returning for a 22nd season — which no player has ever done in the NBA — but with injuries limiting him to playing in just 85 games over the past two seasons, KG decided it was time to hang it up.
Garnett, joins Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan — yes, that is going to be some Hall of Fame Class in 2021 — who have decided to hang it up after stellar NBA careers.
KG leaves behind a legacy as one of the best defensive players in league history, as well as one of the all-time greats when it comes to trash talking.
“I’m just thankful. I can’t even put that into words,” Garnett says in his video he posted on Instagram. “I’m just thankful. I’m just thankful for everybody and the love. I never would have thought that people love me like this.”
The 40-year-old helped put the Timberwolves on the map by turning around one of the worst franchises in the NBA and into a regular playoff contender.
The Timberwolves drafted the McDonald’s All American out of high school in 1995 — the first player to do so over the past two decades. His early success and impact on the game led a plethora of high school players to skip college and make the jump to the NBA..
Players such as Bryant, Tracy McGrady and LeBron James followed in his footsteps and have forever changed the league.
The No. 5 overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft was quickly called “The Kid” before eventually being nicknamed the “Big Ticket” because of his ability to play every position and guard every position.
Notable achievements
- Garnett is one of five players in league history to play at least 50,000 minutes.
- The Big Ticket made more than $330 million in his NBA career, the most by any player in league history.
- Won MVP honors in 2004 after leading the Timberwolves to the Western Conference finals.
- Garnett won his only NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008.
- Garnett finished his NBA career as one of three players (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone) with 25,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 5,000 assists.
- Garnett was the NBA’s rebounding champion for four straight seasons (2003-07). The only players with longer rebounding streaks were Dennis Rodman (seven straight) and Moses Malone (five straight).
“Very few players can affect an organization like Kevin did here in Boston, both on and off the court,” said Boston Celtics president Danny Ainge. “He led our team by example every day with his drive, his passion, and his relentless commitment to winning. While always putting team ahead of individual, Kevin earned his place among the greatest players in Celtic and NBA history.”
