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Kevin Maurice Garnett (/ɡɑːrˈnɛt/ gar-NET; born May 19, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player who played 21 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Big Ticket," Garnett is considered one of the greatest power forwards of all time, known for his intensity, versatility, and defensive ability.[1] As of 2024, he is one of five NBA players to have won both the NBA Most Valuable Player Award and the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.[n 1]
In high school, Garnett was a 1995 McDonald's All-American at Farragut Career Academy and a national player of the year award.[3][4] He entered the 1995 NBA draft, where he was selected with the fifth overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves and became the first NBA player drafted directly out of high school in 20 years. Garnett made an immediate impact with the Minnesota Timberwolves, leading them to eight consecutive playoff appearances. In 2004, he led the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals and won the NBA MVP Award. He was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year with the Boston Celtics during the 2007–08 season, his first with the team.
Garnett was traded to the Celtics in 2007, helping lead them to the 2008 NBA Finals and beat the Los Angeles Lakers, while also finishing in third place for the MVP award.[5] 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. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 and named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.
During his NBA career, Garnett was named to 15 All-Star Games, winning the All-Star MVP award in 2003.[n 2] He was named to the All-NBA Team nine times and the NBA All-Defensive Team 12 times.[6] Garnett also holds several Timberwolves franchise records.
Garnett made his feature film debut, playing a fictionalized version of himself, in the 2019 film Uncut Gems.[7][8]
- ^ "Ranking the 25 greatest players in NBA history". FOX Sports. October 20, 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
- ^ Rafferty, Scott (August 25, 2020). "Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks named 2019-20 NBA Defensive Player of the Year". ca.nba.com. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
- ^ "Before they were stars: Boston Celtics' Kevin Garnett". ESPN. June 8, 2010. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
- ^ "Wilkins Honored as One of 35 Greatest McDonald's All Americans". NBA. January 31, 2012. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
- ^ "NBA.com - Kobe Bryant Wins Most Valuable Player Award". NBA.com. Archived from the original on April 1, 2012. Retrieved May 30, 2011.
- ^ "Kevin Garnett Statistics". Basketball-reference.com. Retrieved October 27, 2008.
- ^ Chaudhary, Aikansh (September 23, 2020). "NBA Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett Has an Interesting Take on Why Bubble Wouldn't Work for His Generation of Players". EssentiallySports. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
- ^ Ciccotelli, Jenna. "Kevin Garnett Explains Why His Generation 'Could Never' Play in an NBA Bubble". Bleacher Report. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
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