Kevin Garnett facts for kids
Garnett with the Boston Celtics in 2008
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | May 19, 1976 Greenville, South Carolina, U.S. |
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| High school |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 240 lb (109 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 1995 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5th overall | |||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1995–2016 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–2007 | Minnesota Timberwolves | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2013 | Boston Celtics | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Brooklyn Nets | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Minnesota Timberwolves | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Points | 26,071 (17.8 ppg) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 14,662 (10.0 rpg) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Assists | 5,445 (3.7 apg) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Kevin Maurice Garnett (born May 19, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player. He played for 21 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). People called him "the Big Ticket." Garnett is known as one of the best power forwards ever. He was famous for his high energy, being able to do many things well, and amazing defense.
As of 2024, he is one of only five NBA players to win both the NBA Most Valuable Player Award and the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. In high school, Garnett was a top player and was picked fifth in the 1995 NBA draft. He was the first player in 20 years to go straight from high school to the NBA.
Garnett quickly made a big difference for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He led them to the playoffs eight times in a row. In 2004, he helped the Timberwolves reach the Western Conference Finals and won the NBA MVP Award. Later, with the Boston Celtics, he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in the 2007–08 season.
He was traded to the Celtics in 2007 and helped them win the 2008 NBA Finals. In 2013, he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets with Paul Pierce. Garnett returned to Minnesota in 2015. He stopped playing professional basketball in September 2016. He was added to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020. In 2021, he was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
During his NBA career, Garnett was chosen for 15 All-Star Games. He won the All-Star MVP award in 2003. He was also named to the All-NBA Team nine times and the NBA All-Defensive Team 12 times. Garnett holds many records for the Timberwolves team. In 2019, he acted in the movie Uncut Gems, playing a version of himself.
Contents
Early Life and High School Basketball
Kevin Garnett was born on May 19, 1976, in Greenville, South Carolina. He grew up with his mother and stepfather. He has two sisters.
Garnett loved basketball from a young age. He started playing organized basketball in high school. For his first three years, he went to Mauldin High School in Mauldin, South Carolina. He played on the school's basketball team there.
Before his senior year, Garnett was near a fight between students. Because of this, he decided to leave Mauldin High. He moved to Chicago and transferred to Farragut Career Academy for his senior year.
In Chicago, Garnett led Farragut to a great record of 28 wins and 2 losses. He was named the National High School Player of the Year by USA Today. He also won the Mr. Basketball award for Illinois. In his senior year, he averaged 25.2 points, 17.9 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 6.5 blocks per game.
Over his four years in high school, Garnett scored 2,553 points, grabbed 1,809 rebounds, and blocked 737 shots. He played with Ronnie Fields, who also became a professional basketball player. After high school, Garnett decided to go straight to the NBA. He did not go to college because he did not score high enough on a test needed for college sports.
Professional Basketball Career
Minnesota Timberwolves: Becoming a Star (1995–2007)
In the 1995 NBA draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves picked Garnett as the fifth player overall. He was the first player since 1975 to be drafted directly from high school. The Timberwolves had not been a very good team before Garnett joined.
In his first year, Garnett started some games and showed promise. He averaged 10.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. He was named to the All-Rookie Second Team. The team still struggled, but Garnett was the youngest player in the NBA at the time.
The next season, the Timberwolves got Stephon Marbury. Garnett's stats improved a lot, with 17.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. The team made the playoffs for the first time in its history. However, they lost in the first round.
In 1997, Garnett signed a huge contract worth $126 million over six years. This was a very big deal at the time. Despite the attention, Garnett kept getting better. He averaged 18.5 points and 9.6 rebounds. The Timberwolves had their first winning season, but again lost in the first round of the playoffs.
Garnett became a true superstar in the 1998–99 season. He averaged 20.8 points and 10.4 rebounds. He was named to the All-NBA Third Team. Even though Marbury was traded, Garnett continued to lead the team.
In the 1999–2000 season, Garnett averaged 22.9 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 5.0 assists. He was named to the All-NBA First Team and finished second in the MVP voting. The Timberwolves won a team-record 50 games, but still couldn't get past the first round of the playoffs.
The team faced some challenges, including a league punishment for an illegal player signing. But Garnett kept playing at a high level. He continued to be an All-NBA player, but the Timberwolves kept losing in the first round of the playoffs year after year.
Winning MVP and Leading the Team (2003–2004)
In the 2003–04 season, everything came together for Garnett and the Timberwolves. They added experienced players like Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell. Garnett had an amazing season, averaging 24.2 points, 13.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.2 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game. He led the league in rebounds.
For his incredible performance, Garnett was named the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP). The Timberwolves won a team-record 58 games. They finally broke their playoff losing streak, winning two series to reach the Western Conference Finals. They lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in a tough series.
Later Years in Minnesota (2004–2007)
After the MVP season, the Timberwolves struggled. They missed the playoffs for the first time in eight years in 2005. The team continued to have a hard time winning games in the following seasons. Garnett still played well, but the team's record got worse.
During the 2007 off-season, there were many rumors about Garnett being traded. He wanted to join a team that could win a championship.
Boston Celtics: Championship Glory (2007–2013)
On July 31, 2007, Garnett was traded to the Boston Celtics. This was a huge trade involving many players. Garnett was excited to join the Celtics and help them win. He signed a new contract extension.
With Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen, the Celtics were called "The Big Three." Many experts thought they would be a top team. Garnett wore number 5 for the Celtics because his old number, 21, was already retired by the team.
Garnett had a great first game with Boston, scoring 22 points and grabbing 20 rebounds. He was the top vote-getter for the 2008 NBA All-Star Game, but he couldn't play due to an injury. On April 22, Garnett won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. He was also third in the MVP voting.
Garnett helped the Celtics win their 17th NBA Championship in 2008. He had 26 points and 14 rebounds in the final game. He formed a special bond with Celtics legend Bill Russell.
In the 2008–09 season, Garnett played in his 1,000th career game, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to do so. He was chosen for his twelfth All-Star Game. However, he injured his right knee and missed the rest of the season and the playoffs. The Celtics were eliminated without him.
Garnett returned for the 2009–10 season. The Celtics had some struggles but played very well in the playoffs. They reached the 2010 NBA Finals and faced the Lakers again. The series went to a thrilling Game 7, but the Celtics lost.
In the 2011–12 season, Garnett and the Celtics started slowly. But they improved a lot and made a deep playoff run. They reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the third time in five years. They lost to the Miami Heat in seven games. Garnett played very well in these playoffs.
On January 17, 2013, Garnett was voted to start in the All-Star Game again. On February 7, 2013, he scored his 25,000th career point. On August 20, 2021, the Celtics announced they would retire Garnett's number 5 jersey.
Brooklyn Nets and Return to Minnesota (2013–2016)
On June 27, 2013, Garnett was traded to the Brooklyn Nets along with Paul Pierce. He chose to wear number 2 to honor his former teammate Malik Sealy.
On December 13, 2013, Garnett reached 14,000 career rebounds. He became only the tenth player in NBA history to do so. He also joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone as the only players with 25,000 points, 14,000 rebounds, and 5,000 assists. The Nets made the playoffs but didn't go far.
On February 19, 2015, Garnett was traded back to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He played his first game back in Minnesota since 2007. He played in only five games that season due to a knee injury.
Garnett re-signed with the Timberwolves for two more years. On November 15, 2015, he became the fifth player in NBA history to play at least 50,000 minutes. On December 11, he passed Karl Malone to become the NBA's all-time leader in defensive rebounds. He played in 38 games that season before another knee injury ended his year.
On September 23, 2016, Kevin Garnett announced he was retiring from the NBA after 21 seasons. He wanted to play one more year, but his knees wouldn't allow it.
National Team Career
Kevin Garnett played for the United States national team in the 2000 Summer Olympics. He helped the team win a gold medal in basketball. In that tournament, he averaged 10.8 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.
After Basketball
After retiring, Garnett joined the TV show Inside the NBA on TNT. He also hosted his own segment called Area 21. He worked as a consultant for NBA teams like the Los Angeles Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks.
Uncut Gems Film Role
Garnett played a fictional version of himself in the 2019 crime thriller film Uncut Gems. The movie is set during the 2012 NBA playoffs. In the film, Garnett visits a jewelry store in New York City and becomes interested in a rare Ethiopian opal. The story connects Garnett's basketball performance with the opal and the jeweler's life.
Critics praised Garnett's acting in the movie. The directors chose him after considering other players. Garnett said filming the movie felt special.
Personal Life
Kevin Garnett wore clothes with "OBF" on them, which stood for "Official Block Family." This was the name for his close friends from his hometown. He often brought these friends to live with him.
In July 2004, Garnett married his longtime girlfriend Brandi Padilla. They have two daughters. In 2018, his wife filed for divorce.
Garnett is the half-brother of former basketball player Louis McCullough. Another professional basketball player, Shammond Williams, is his cousin.
His nicknames include "The Big Ticket," "KG," "The Kid," and "The Franchise." Before games, he would sometimes hit his head against a padded basketball hoop support to get ready. Even though the NBA lists him as 6 feet 11 inches tall, many people believe he is at least 7 feet tall.
In February 2021, Garnett released his autobiography, KG: A to Z: An Uncensored Encyclopedia of Life, Basketball, and Everything in Between.
Achievements and Records
Kevin Garnett has many impressive achievements and records:
- Only NBA player to reach at least 25,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, 5,000 assists, 1,500 steals, and 1,500 blocks.
- Only NBA player to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists per game for 6 years in a row: 1999–2004.
- Only NBA player to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists per game for 9 years in a row: 1998–2006.
- Led the league in defensive rebounds 5 times: 2002–2006.
- First NBA player to win the NBA Player of the Month Award four times in one season: 2003–04 season.
- Third NBA player to lead his team in all five main stats (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks) in the same season: Minnesota Timberwolves, 2002.
- Tied for the second most seasons played in the NBA: 21 seasons.
Major Achievements:
- NBA champion: 2008
- Olympic gold medal: 2000
- NBA Most Valuable Player: 2004
- NBA Defensive Player of the Year: 2008
- NBA All-Star Game MVP: 2003
- 15-time NBA All-Star: 1997–2011, 2013
- Chosen for 14 All-Star teams in a row (1997–2011).
- Chosen in 2008 but did not play due to injury.
- 9-time All-NBA selection:
- First Team: 2000, 2003, 2004, 2008
- Second Team: 2001, 2002, 2005
- Third Team: 1999, 2007
- 12-time All-Defensive selection:
- First Team: 2000–2005, 2008–2009, 2011
- Second Team: 2006–2007, 2012
- NBA All-Rookie Second Team: 1996
- J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award: 2006
- NBA 75th Anniversary Team: 2021
Images for kids
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Garnett with the Boston Celtics in 2008
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Garnett as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves (2007)
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Garnett in Game 4 of the 2008 NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks.
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Garnett dunking a ball in a game against the Washington Wizards.
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Garnett's first game back with the Timberwolves in 2015.
See also
In Spanish: Kevin Garnett para niños
- List of NBA All-Stars
- List of NBA career scoring leaders
- List of NBA career rebounding leaders
- List of NBA career steals leaders
- List of NBA career blocks leaders
- List of NBA career games played leaders
- List of NBA career minutes played leaders
- List of NBA annual rebounding leaders
- List of NBA seasons played leaders
