Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Kevin Garnett

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Kevin Garnett made an impact.

Kevin Garnett, nicknamed "the Big Ticket", is a retired American professional basketball player who played 21 seasons in the NBA. Widely regarded as one of the greatest power forwards ever, he was known for his intensity, versatility, and defensive prowess. Notably, Garnett is one of only five players in NBA history to win both the NBA Most Valuable Player Award and the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, solidifying his legacy as an all-time great.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1975: First Player Drafted out of High School

In the 1995 NBA draft, Kevin Garnett was drafted with the fifth overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves and became the first player to be drafted directly out of high school since 1975.

1995: Drafted by the Timberwolves

In 1995, Kevin Garnett was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves as the fifth overall pick. During his rookie season, he started coming off the bench but quickly moved to the starting lineup after Flip Saunders became the head coach.

1995: McDonald's All-American and NBA Draft

In 1995, Kevin Garnett was named a McDonald's All-American at Farragut Career Academy. He was also selected fifth overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 1995 NBA draft, making him the first player drafted directly from high school in 20 years.

1995: Named Most Outstanding Player at McDonald's All-American Game

In 1995, Kevin Garnett was named the Most Outstanding Player at the McDonald's All-American Game after recording 18 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocked shots, which led him to declare himself eligible for the NBA draft.

1995: NBA Tryout

In 1995, after a Chicago area high school coach referred Kevin Garnett to Eric Fleisher, a tryout was arranged where Garnett dominated against older, more experienced competition, leading to significant NBA interest.

1995: NBA Draft Measurements

Measurements from the 1995 NBA draft indicated that Kevin Garnett, at 19 years old, was 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) tall barefoot.

1996: Timberwolves Trade for Stephon Marbury

Before the 1996-97 NBA season, the Timberwolves traded for point guard Stephon Marbury.

August 1997: Contract Negotiations

In August 1997, Kevin Garnett and his agent turned down the Timberwolves' initial contract offer of $102 million over six years, anticipating a larger offer based on other player signings.

October 1, 1997: Contract Extension

On October 1, 1997, just before the deadline, Kevin Garnett and the Timberwolves agreed to a six-year contract extension worth $126 million, an unprecedented amount at the time.

1997: First Playoff Appearance and All-Star Selections

In 1997, the Timberwolves made their first playoff appearance, achieving a 40-42 record. Kevin Garnett and Tom Gugliotta were selected as All-Stars. However, they were swept by the Houston Rockets in the first round of the 1997 NBA Playoffs.

1998: Garnett's Improved Performance

Despite the furor over his new contract, in the 1998 season, Garnett averaged improved stats of 18.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.7 steals per game, earning another All-Star selection, and the Timberwolves achieved their first winning record, however the Timberwolves lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Seattle Supersonics.

1999: Breaking Through as a Superstar

In the lockout-shortened 1999 season, Kevin Garnett broke through as a superstar, averaging 20.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game, earning him a spot on the All-NBA Third Team. Stephon Marbury was traded to the New Jersey Nets mid-season and the Timberwolves were defeated in the first round of the playoffs.

2000: Olympic Gold Medal

In 2000, Kevin Garnett won a gold medal as a member of the United States national team at the Summer Olympics. In the tournament, Garnett averaged 10.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game.

2000: Continued Notable Play

In the 1999-2000 NBA season, Kevin Garnett continued his notable play, averaging 22.9 points, 11.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game. Garnett earned his first All-NBA First Team appearance and came in second place in the MVP voting. The Timberwolves ended up losing to the Portland Trail Blazers 3-1 in the first round.

2001: All-NBA Second Team Nomination

During the 2001-02 NBA season, Kevin Garnett's averages of 21.2 points, 12.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game earned him another All-NBA Second Team nomination. However, the Timberwolves bowed out in the first round of the playoffs for the sixth consecutive time.

2003: All-Star MVP Award

In 2003, Kevin Garnett won the All-Star MVP award.

2003: MVP Award and Western Conference Finals Appearance

In the 2003-04 season, Kevin Garnett averaged 24.2 points, 13.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.2 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game. He was named the league Most Valuable Player and led the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals.

2004: NBA MVP Award

In 2004, Kevin Garnett led the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals and was awarded the NBA MVP Award.

January 4, 2005: Career High Scoring Game

On January 4, 2005, Kevin Garnett scored a career-high 47 points along with 17 rebounds in a 115–122 loss to the Phoenix Suns.

July 31, 2007: Traded to the Boston Celtics

On July 31, 2007, Kevin Garnett was traded to the Boston Celtics for Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff, cash considerations, Boston's 2009 first-round draft pick, and Minnesota's 2009 first-round pick. This 7-for-1 deal was the largest number of players ever traded for a single player in league history. Garnett signed a three-year, $60 million contract extension and threw out the first pitch at a Red Sox game on August 1.

2007: Trade Rumors

During the 2007 off-season, Glen Taylor entertained trade offers for Kevin Garnett, with potential destinations including the Bulls, Lakers, Warriors, Pacers, Celtics, Suns, and Mavericks. Garnett expressed a preference for joining the Lakers, Celtics, or Suns, and attempted to contact Kobe Bryant about joining the Lakers.

2007: NBA Defensive Player of the Year

In 2007, Kevin Garnett was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year while playing for the Boston Celtics.

2007: Trade to the Celtics

In 2007, Kevin Garnett was traded to the Boston Celtics, where he helped lead them to the NBA Finals in 2008.

2008: NBA Championship with the Celtics

In 2008, Kevin Garnett helped lead the Boston Celtics to win the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.

2011: Lockout Shortened Season

During the lockout-shortened 2011-12 NBA season, Kevin Garnett and the Celtics had a slow start but finished strong, entering the playoffs as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.

June 30, 2012: Contract Extension with the Celtics

On June 30, 2012, Kevin Garnett agreed to a three-year contract extension with the Boston Celtics worth an estimated $34 million.

June 27, 2013: Traded to the Brooklyn Nets

On June 27, 2013, Kevin Garnett was traded to the Brooklyn Nets along with Paul Pierce and Jason Terry for future first-round picks and several players. The trade was completed on July 12.

2013: Trade to the Brooklyn Nets

In 2013, Kevin Garnett was traded to the Brooklyn Nets along with Paul Pierce.

November 1, 2014: Best Game for Nets

On November 1, 2014, Kevin Garnett had arguably his best game for the Nets, recording 18 points and 14 rebounds in a 102–90 win over the Detroit Pistons.

February 19, 2015: Traded Back to Minnesota

On February 19, 2015, Kevin Garnett agreed to waive his no-trade clause to be traded back to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Thaddeus Young.

July 11, 2015: Re-signs with Timberwolves

On July 11, 2015, Kevin Garnett re-signed with the Timberwolves to a two-year deal.

2015: Trade back to Minnesota

In 2015, Kevin Garnett was traded back to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

September 2016: Retirement from professional basketball

In September 2016, Kevin Garnett announced his retirement from professional basketball, marking the end of his illustrious NBA career.

September 23, 2016: Retirement from the NBA

On September 23, 2016, Kevin Garnett announced his retirement from the NBA after playing for 21 seasons. He had considered playing one more season with the Timberwolves to mentor young players, but his knee condition made him unsure.

October 2016: Joins TNT's Inside the NBA

In October 2016, Kevin Garnett joined the crew on TNT's Inside the NBA.

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January 2017: Joins Los Angeles Clippers as consultant

In January 2017, Kevin Garnett joined the Los Angeles Clippers as a consultant, and also consulted with the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2016–17 season.