Kevin Maurice Garnett (/ɡɑːrˈnɛt/gar-NET; born May 19, 1976), commonly known by his initialsKG is an American former professionalbasketball player who played 21 seasons in theNational Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Big Ticket," Garnett is widely regarded as one of the greatestpower forwards of all time, known for his intensity, versatility, and defensive ability.[1] As of 2026, he is one of five NBA players to have won both theNBA Most Valuable Player Award and theNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.[n 1]
In high school, Garnett was a1995McDonald's All-American atFarragut Career Academy and a national player of the year award winner.[3][4] He entered the1995 NBA draft, where he was selected with the fifth overall pick by theMinnesota Timberwolves and became the first NBA player drafteddirectly out of high school in20 years. Garnett made an immediate impact with the Minnesota Timberwolves, leading them to eight consecutiveplayoff appearances. In 2004, he led the Timberwolves to theWestern Conference Finals and won the NBA MVP Award. He was named theNBA Defensive Player of the Year with theBoston Celtics during the2007–08 season, his first with the team.
Garnett was traded to the Celtics in 2007, helping lead them to the2008 NBA Finals and beat theLos Angeles Lakers, while also finishing in third place for theMVP award.[5] In 2013, Garnett was included in a second headline trade that sent him to theBrooklyn Nets with longtime CelticPaul Pierce. In 2015, Garnett was traded back to Minnesota. He announced his retirement from professional basketball in September 2016. He was inducted into theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 and named to theNBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.
During his NBA career, Garnett was named to 15All-Star Games, winning theAll-Star MVP award in2003.[n 2] He was named to theAll-NBA Team nine times and theNBA All-Defensive Team 12 times.[6] Garnett also holds several Timberwolvesfranchise records.
Garnett made his feature film debut in the 2019 crime thrillerUncut Gems, playing a fictionalized version of himself.[7][8]
Garnett was born on May 19, 1976, inGreenville, South Carolina.[9] He is themiddle child and has two sisters.[10] Garnett's mother, Shirley Garnett, never married his father, O'Lewis McCullough, with their relationship ending shortly after his birth. Garnett grew up with his mother and stepfather.[11]
Garnett fell in love with the sport of basketball while attending Hillcrest Middle School, although he did not play organized basketball until high school. In his first three years of high school, Garnett attendedMauldin High School inMauldin, South Carolina, and played on the school's basketball team. However, during the summer before his senior year of high school, Garnett was in the general vicinity of a fight between black and white students. Although not directly involved, Garnett was one of three students arrested for second-degreelynching, a charge that was expunged through a pre-trial intervention.[12] Due to the racially charged incident and fearful of being a target, Garnett decided to leave Mauldin High[13] and transferred toFarragut Career Academy inChicago's West Side, for his senior year of high school.
Living with his sister in Chicago, Garnett led Farragut to a 28–2 record and was named National High School Player of the Year byUSA Today. He was also namedMr. Basketball for the state of Illinois after averaging 25.2 points, 17.9 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 6.5 blocks while shooting 66.8% from the field. In four years of high school, Garnett posted an impressive 2,553 points, 1,809 rebounds and 737 blocked shots. In high school, Garnett played alongsideRonnie Fields, who also became a professional basketball player. Garnett was named the Most Outstanding Player at theMcDonald's All-American Game after registering 18 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocked shots, and then declared himself eligible for the1995 NBA draft.[14] To mark the 35th anniversary of the McDonald's All-American High School Boys Basketball Game, Garnett was honored as one of 35 Greatest McDonald's All-Americans.[4] Garnett's decision not to playcollege basketball was influenced in part by his failure to score well enough on theACT to meetNCAA requirements for freshman eligibility.[15] Garnett toldStudent Sports Magazine in 1995 that if he went to college, he would have playedcollege basketball for theUniversity of Maryland, a moderate surprise at the time considering, while Maryland andNorth Carolina[16] were contenders, theUniversity of Michigan were viewed as front-runners in Garnett's recruitment.[17] However, in the years since his recruitment, several figures close to the recruitment, including former Nike executiveSonny Vaccaro, as well as Garnett himself, have stated that he would have likely attended Michigan, influenced by an appreciation of theFab Five andChris Webber, in particular.[18][19][20]
A Chicago area high school coach referred Garnett to Eric Fleisher, then agent for 18 NBA players and son of firstNational Basketball Players Association headLarry Fleisher, to discuss the possibility of going to the NBA straight out of high school. Two weeks later at the Lakeshore Athletic Club, Fleisher ran a small tryout where Garnett dominated against older, more experienced competition. Fleisher then setDetroit Pistons assistantJohn Hammond to run the drills at another workout at theUniversity of Illinois-Chicago to gauge NBA interest. Representatives from the 13 teams with lottery picks, withKevin McHale,Elgin Baylor,Flip Saunders, andKevin Loughery among them, were in the workout that was scheduled around the same time as a pre-draft tryout camp. The workout included Garnett touching the box painted on the backboard above the rim multiple times, and McHale giving Garnett tips on shooting jump shots. An hour before going to the 1995 NBA draft in theToronto SkyDome, his coach at Farragut, William (Wolf) Nelson, gave encouragement and told Garnett that he passed the last SAT test he took with a score of 970.[21][22]
Garnett was drafted with the fifth overall pick in the1995 NBA draft by theMinnesota Timberwolves, and became the first player to be drafted directly out of high school since1975.[23] Since joining the NBA for the 1989–90 season, the Timberwolves had not won more than 29 games in any season.[24] In Garnett's rookie season, the Timberwolves were in the midst of a transition phase; they replacedBill Blair withFlip Saunders as head coach early in the season, and made several trades. Garnett initially came off the bench in his rookie year, but moved into thestarting lineup soon after Saunders became head coach and with the urging ofSam Mitchell. In the final 42 games of the year, averaged 14 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.26 blocks as a starter.[21] In his rookie year, Garnett and fellow newcomerTom Gugliotta carried the scoring load. Garnett did not immediately leap to stardom as laterprep-to-pro prospects such asAmar'e Stoudemire,LeBron James andDwight Howard would, but he did have a very respectable rookie year. He was voted to the All-Rookie Second Team on averages of 10.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game.[6] Despite having some promising players, the Timberwolves suffered through their seventh consecutive sub-30 win season and failed to make the playoffs. At the time, Garnett was the youngest NBA player in history at 19 years and 11 months of age.[14]
Before the1996–97 season, the Timberwolves made a draft-day trade forpoint guardStephon Marbury of theGeorgia Tech Yellow Jackets. During the season, Garnett posted improved averages of 17.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.1 blocks and 1.7 steals.[6] He also had two games where he registered eight blocks.[14] With a 40–42 record, the Timberwolves made their first playoff appearance in franchise history, Garnett and Gugliotta made their first All-Star appearances, and Marbury established himself as a valuable young lead guard. However, theHouston Rockets, led byHakeem Olajuwon,Clyde Drexler, andCharles Barkley, proved to be too much as the Timberwolves were swept 3–0 in the first round of the1997 NBA Playoffs.
In August 1997, Garnett and Fleisher turned down the Timberwolves' offer of a contract worth $102 million over six years. They thought there would be more offered to them on the basis of the signings of $105 million over seven years for Alonzo Mourning of the Miami Heat and $100.8 million over seven years for Juwan Howard with the Washington Bullets. To get out of the spotlight while negotiations were ongoing, Garnett stayed in Fleisher's Westchester County home, north of New York City. One hour before the deadline on October 1, 1997,[21] the Timberwolves and Garnett agreed on a six-year contract extension that was worth an unparalleled $126 million.[14] The contract was considered a risky move and many analysts speculated that the deal would make it impossible for the Wolves to sign new players or even keep their own. The enormous size of Garnett's contract was considered, by numerous sports writers, a major cause of labor tensions between players and owners that led to a lockout which shortened the1998–99 NBA season. 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). For the second consecutive year, the young Timberwolves bowed out of the playoffs in the first round, this time losing 3–2 to theSeattle SuperSonics and superstar point guardGary Payton. The two wins against the Sonics marked the Wolves' first-ever playoff game wins. The off-season started poorly for the Timberwolves though as 20-point per game scorerTom Gugliotta left for thePhoenix Suns.
In the lockout-shortenedseason 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,[6] he was named to the All-NBA Third Team. However, midway through the season,Stephon Marbury was traded to theNew Jersey Nets. Although the Wolves received two-time All-StarTerrell Brandon in return, they were not able to overcome the discord and limped into the playoffs as the eighth seed with a 25–25 record. The Wolves were defeated in the first round again, this time losing 3–1 to the eventual championSan Antonio Spurs who were led by young superstar and eventualNBA Finals MVPTim Duncan. In the1999–2000 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. Garnett also made the first of his four All-NBA First Team appearances and came in second place in the MVP voting.[6] Assisted by sharpshooting rookie forwardWally Szczerbiak and steady veteranTerrell Brandon, the Wolves posted a franchise-best 50–32 record, but succumbed in the first round to thePortland Trail Blazers 3–1.
On May 20, 2000, Timberwolves' guard and Garnett's close friendMalik Sealy was killed by adrunk driver shortly after celebrating Garnett's 24th birthday.[25] Later that year, the NBA ruled that the free-agent signing ofJoe Smith was illegal. The league punished the team for the illegal signing by stripping them of three first-round draft picks, finingGlen Taylor (the owner of the team) $3.5 million, and banninggeneral managerKevin McHale for one year. In the2000–01 NBA season, Garnett led the Wolves to a 47–35 record and made the All-NBA Second Team, but again, the Wolves did not survive the first round of the playoffs, losing to the Spurs 3–1.
In the2001–02 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. However, the Timberwolves bowed out in the first round for the sixth consecutive time, this time getting swept 3–0 by theDallas Mavericks led byMichael Finley,Steve Nash, andDirk Nowitzki. Garnett'snext season was one of the best of his career, his 23.0 ppg / 13.4 rpg / 6.0 apg / 1.6 bpg / 1.4 spg season earning him his second All-NBA First Team nomination and second place in the MVP voting.[14] The Timberwolves posted a good 51–31 record, but for the seventh consecutive time, they did not make it out of the first round, this time losing to theLos Angeles Lakers 4–2.
In the2003–04 season, things finally seemed to come together for Garnett. In past years, the Wolves had practically been a one-man show, but now, the Timberwolves had made two valuable acquisitions: highly talented but volatile swingmanLatrell Sprewell and the seasoned two-time NBA championSam Cassell, who supplantedTroy Hudson atpoint guard. In addition, defensive centerErvin Johnson complemented the inconsistentMichael Olowokandi. Powered by the best supporting cast up to this point in his career, 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 leagueMost Valuable Player for the first time in his career.[6] With a franchise-record 58 wins, the Wolves stormed into the playoffs, and finally conquered their playoff bane by defeating theDenver Nuggets 4–1 in the first round. After disposing of the strongSacramento Kings 4–3 in the Western Conference semi-finals, Garnett and the Timberwolves met the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. There, playmaker Cassell went down with a back injury. With reserve point guard Hudson also injured, the Timberwolves alternated between third playmakerDarrick Martin and shooting guardFred Hoiberg at the "one", or even running Garnett himself aspoint forward or a real point guard. TheLos Angeles Lakers pulled off a 4–2 victory in the series.
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.[26] He was also named to the All-NBA Second Team,[6] but the Timberwolves failed to make the playoffs for the first time in eight years with a record of 44–38. The2005–06 season brought more frustration for Garnett. Sprewell turned down a three-year, $21 million extension, and the Wolves wary of his injuries and age, tradedCassell for the much less effectiveMarko Jarić, and the team's record for 2005–06 fell to 33–49. Despite Garnett's play, the team logged the second-worst record since Garnett joined the franchise. The Timberwolves' record dropped further in 2006–07, going 32–50 that season. In both of those seasons, Garnett earned All-NBA Third Team honors.
During the 2007 off-season, Glen Taylor admitted that although he planned on retaining Garnett, he finally listened to trade offers.[27] Garnett's name was mentioned in various trade rumors involving theChicago Bulls,Los Angeles Lakers,Golden State Warriors,Indiana Pacers,Boston Celtics,Phoenix Suns, andDallas Mavericks.[28][29][30][31] Garnett later confirmed that his preferred trade destinations were the Lakers, Celtics, and Suns.[32] He had initially contacted Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant about joining the team as the Lakers were his initial top choice but Bryant didn't answer or return the calls. Garnett stated, "I'm just being honest with everybody. I wanted to link with Kobe. Kobe and I had a different connect. When Kobe-Shaq went on their little thing, a lot of people went with Shaq. A lot of people didn't even fuck with Kobe. You know, Kobe, whatever. One of the very few to just stay with him. I was a neutral guy, anyway. I show everybody love. I tried to link with him, and I couldn't get him on the line."[32] The Lakers originally had a trade framework in place that involvedLamar Odom andAndrew Bynum.[32]
On July 31, 2007,Garnett was traded to the Boston Celtics in exchange forAl Jefferson,Ryan Gomes,Sebastian Telfair,Gerald Green,Theo Ratliff, cash considerations, Boston's 2009 first-round draft pick (top 3 protected), and the2009 first-round pick which Minnesota traded to Boston in theRicky Davis–Wally Szczerbiak trade of 2006.[33] The 7-for-1 deal constitutes the largest number of players traded for a single player in league history.[34] At the time of the trade, Garnett had the longest current tenure of any player in the NBA with one team, having played for the Timberwolves for his first 12 seasons (a total of 927 games). Garnett said that he was proud to be a part of the Celtics and hoped to continue its proud tradition and basketball success.[35][36][37] 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. On August 1, the day after signing with the Celtics, Garnett threw the ceremonial first pitch atFenway Park prior to aRed Sox–Orioles game.[38]
The trade for Garnett had many experts speculating that the Celtics would have a resurgence during the2007–08 season.[39] The combination ofPaul Pierce,Ray Allen, and Garnett were almost automatically nicknamed "The Big Three" by the media, after theLarry Bird,Kevin McHale, andRobert Parish trio.[40] Garnett wore jersey number 5 for the Celtics since his number with the Timberwolves, number 21, was retired by the Celtics, previously worn byBill Sharman. He made his Boston debut with a strong performance against the Washington Wizards, with 22 points and 20 rebounds.[41] He also led all players in voting for the2008 NBA All-Star Game. Garnett received 2,399,148 votes, the twelfth highest total in NBA All-Star balloting history.[42] However, Garnett was unable to play due to anabdominal strain, andDetroit Pistons forwardRasheed Wallace was named to replace him.[43][44][45] Garnett passed 20,000 points for his career, becoming the 32nd player in NBA history to reach the mark,[46] with alayup in the second quarter against theMemphis Grizzlies on March 8.[47] On April 22, Garnett was named theNBA Defensive Player of the Year for the 2007–08 season.[48][49] It was the only major award a Celtic player had not claimed since thefranchise's foundation in 1946.[50] Garnett said it was a team effort which helped him win the award.[51] Garnett was also third inMVP voting for the year, behind onlyKobe Bryant andChris Paul.[52] Garnett helped the Celtics to their 17thNBA Championship, with 26points and 14rebounds inGame 6 of theNBA Finals. During that championship season, Garnett and Celtics legendBill Russell developed a relationship, which Garnett credited as a major influence in helping him succeed during his first season as a Celtic.[53] On June 18, 2008, Garnett and Ray Allen appeared on theLate Show with David Letterman, soon after winning the championship.[54]
In the2008–09 season, Garnett started all of the 57 games he was able to suit up for. He averaged 15.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. On October 31, 2008, Garnett became the youngest player inNBA history to reach 1,000 career games, at 32 years and 165 days.[55][56] Garnett earned his twelfth consecutiveAll-Star Game start on February 15, 2009. Following the All-Star Game, during a game against theUtah Jazz, Garnett injured his right knee late in the second quarter. The injury occurred on February 19, 2009, while attempting to go up for analley-oop.[57] He was forced to miss the next 14 games. Upon his return, he averaged nine points and 4.5 rebounds in four games before being shut down for the season, missing the final 25 games of the regular season as well as the2009 playoffs due to his injured knee.[58] In May 2009, he underwent knee surgery.[59] Without Garnett, the Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference semi-finals, but were eliminated by the Orlando Magic.
In the2009–10 season, Garnett and the Celtics, joined by newly signed free agentRasheed Wallace, struggled with injuries and inconsistency throughout much of the regular season and earned the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Garnett was selected to play in the2010 NBA All-Star Game (his 13th All-Star Game selection). Despite being written off by nearly every major sports analyst, the Celtics elevated their play and consistency, and dominated opponents much as they did during their 2008 championship run. They eliminated theMiami Heat,Cleveland Cavaliers, andOrlando Magic to advance to face theLos Angeles Lakers in the2010 NBA Finals. In Game 6 against the Cavaliers, Garnett recorded 22 points, 12 rebounds and 3 assists in the series-clinching win.[60] The 2010 Finals went to a decisive seventh game in Los Angeles, where the Celtics led well into the third quarter before the Lakers mounted a comeback and held on for the victory.[61]
In the2010–11 NBA season, Garnett and the Celtics started strong, winning 23 of their first 26 games. On December 30, 2010, Garnett injured his right knee after he tried to dunk. He missed two weeks with the injury. Garnett returned on January 17, 2011, to face the Orlando Magic.[62] The Celtics ended the regular season third in the Eastern Conference behind theChicago Bulls and theMiami Heat.[63] Garnett averaged under 15 points, under 9 rebounds, and a career low 0.8 blocks per game. After sweeping theNew York Knicks in the first round, they faced the Heat in the semi-finals. After losing the first two games of the series, Garnett's playoff high 28 points helped the Celtics take Game 3. However, the Heat won the next two games, winning the series 4–1.[64]
In the lockout shortened2011–12 NBA season, Garnett and the Celtics started off slowly, being below .500 with a 15–17 record by the All-Star break. Garnett was not selected for the All-Star game for the first time in 11 years. After, however, Boston quickly became one of the best teams in the league, finishing the second half of the season with a 24–10 record, entering the playoffs as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference with a 39–27 record. Boston made a deep run in the playoffs, going all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. They faced the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, defeating them in six games. Boston then defeated the Philadelphia 76ers after a challenging seven-game series. Boston made the Eastern Conference Finals for the third time in five years, and faced another superstar trio inChris Bosh,Dwyane Wade, andLeBron James of the Miami Heat. The Celtics lost the first two games, but came back strong to win the next three games. However, the Heat were too strong in Games 6 and 7, defeating the Celtics 4–3. Garnett found a resurgence in the playoffs, averaging 19.2 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game.
On June 30, 2012, Garnett agreed to a three-year contract extension with the Celtics worth an estimated $34 million.[65][66] On January 17, 2013, it was announced that Garnett was voted to start in the 2013 All-Star Game in Houston.[67] On February 7, 2013, Garnett recorded his 25,000th point in a 116–95 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.[68][69]
On August 20, 2021, the Celtics announced that they would retire Garnett's number 5 jersey on March 13, 2022, in a game against theDallas Mavericks.[70] The ceremony saw the Boston return ofRay Allen, whose relationship with Garnett had been acrimonious since the former left the Celtics for the Miami Heat in 2012.[71] Allen, Garnett, and Pierce hugged at midcourt during the ceremony.[71]
On June 27, 2013, the day of theNBA draft, the Boston Celtics and theBrooklyn Nets reached a deal to trade Garnett,Paul Pierce, andJason Terry for future first-round picks in the2014, 2016, and 2018 drafts, as well asKris Humphries,Gerald Wallace,Kris Joseph,MarShon Brooks, andKeith Bogans. Two of the Celtics' picks eventually became future All-StarsJaylen Brown andJayson Tatum.[72] The deal was finally completed on July 12 with Brooklyn also receivingD. J. White.[73] Garnett chose to wear number 2 to honor his deceased former Minnesota Timberwolves teammateMalik Sealy.[74][75]
On December 13, 2013, Garnett surpassed 14,000 career rebounds, becoming only the tenth player in NBA history to do so. In reaching the milestone, Garnett also joinedKareem Abdul-Jabbar andKarl Malone as the only players to reach 25,000 points, 14,000 rebounds, and 5,000 assists. He reached the milestone in the third quarter of a 103–99 road loss to theDetroit Pistons.[76] The Nets cherished Garnett's leadership and passion.[77] Despite boasting a starting line-up ofDeron Williams,Joe Johnson,Brook Lopez, Paul Pierce, and Garnett, the Nets were unable to advance past the second round of the playoffs, while Garnett finished his 19th NBA season with career low averages of 6.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.[78]
On November 1, 2014, Garnett had arguably his best game for the Nets as he recorded 18 points and 14 rebounds in 35 minutes of action in the Nets' 102–90 win over the Detroit Pistons.[79] Six days later, he recorded five rebounds in a 110–99 win over the New York Knicks and by doing so, passedWalt Bellamy for ninth place on the all-time rebounding list.[80]
On February 19, 2015, Garnett agreed to waive his no-trade clause in order to be traded back to Minnesota in exchange forThaddeus Young.[81] Six days later, he made his return for the Timberwolves against the Washington Wizards at theTarget Center, recording five points on two-of-seven shooting with eight rebounds and two blocks in 19 minutes in his first game for Minnesota since 2007.[82] He appeared in just five games for the Timberwolves in 2014–15, before sitting out the team's final 21 games of the season due to a nagging knee injury.[83]
On July 11, 2015, Garnett re-signed with the Timberwolves to a two-year deal.[84][85] On November 15, 2015, against the Memphis Grizzlies, Garnett became the fifth player in NBA history to play at least 50,000 minutes, joiningKareem Abdul-Jabbar,Karl Malone,Jason Kidd, andElvin Hayes.[86] On December 1, against the Orlando Magic, Garnett surpassed Kidd (50,110) for third on the NBA's career minutes list.[87] Four days later, in a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, he became the 15th player in NBA history to surpass 26,000 career points.[88] On December 11, Garnett passed Malone as the NBA's all-time leader in defensive rebounds during Minnesota's 111–108 overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets. He finished the game with four defensive boards to give him 11,409 for his career, three ahead of Malone.[89] Garnett appeared in 38 of the team's first 45 games of the season before missing the entire second half of the season with a right knee injury, the same knee that kept him out of 25 games in 2008–09 when he was playing for Boston, as well as much of his post-trade time in Minnesota during the 2014–15 season.[90]
On September 23, 2016, Garnett announced his retirement after 21 seasons in the NBA.[91][92] While Garnett did express interest in playing for one more season with the Timberwolves, primarily with the goal in helping the team make it to the playoffs again with its promising young players and new head coach, he also told the team's owner that he was not sure that his knees would hold up for one more season.[93] During his Naismith Hall of Fame speech, Kevin Garnett lamented that his one regret about playing for the Timberwolves was not bringing them a championship.[94]
In the2000 Summer Olympics, Garnett won agold medal as a member of theUnited States national team. In his first and only FIBA tournament, Garnett averaged 10.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game.[95]
In October 2016, Garnett joined the crew onTNT'sInside the NBA.[96] The following month, he became the host of his own segmentArea 21.[97] In January 2017, Garnett joined theLos Angeles Clippers as a consultant.[98] He also consulted with theMilwaukee Bucks during the 2016–17 season.[99]
On December 17, 2025, Garnett rejoined the Timberwolves as an ambassador. Prior to that, Garnett had distanced himself from the franchise following his retirement due to a long-standing feud with owner Glen Taylor. However, after the Timberwolves were sold toMarc Lore andAlex Rodriguez, Garnett renewed ties with the organization, with the Timberwolves promising to retire his number 21 jersey within two seasons.[100]
"You realize how hard he worked in acting—he must've worked three times as hard on the court"
Garnett plays a fictionalized version of himself in the 2019crimethrillerUncut Gems, directed by theSafdie brothers.[102] The movie is set in 2012 and revolves around theEastern Conference Semi-finals series between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers. While playing in Philadelphia, Garnett makes a trip to a New York City jewelry store owned by Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) in theDiamond District. Garnett takes a liking to anEthiopian opal which Ratner shows off. The story revolves around Garnett's performance in the series and relationship with the Opal, alongside Ratner's chaotic and intense personal life.
Garnett's performance received positive reviews from critics.[103][104] The Safdie brothers picked Garnett after a series of rewrites based on available players. Prior to securing Garnett, the duo approachedAmar'e Stoudemire, who refused to cut his hair to match theperiod;[104] andKobe Bryant, whose representation said he wanted to direct and not act, though Bryant said he wasn't contacted;[105][104] andJoel Embiid, whose active NBA schedule could not accommodate filming.[104] Garnett was among the first non-active athletes they approached. Garnett said the process of filming "felt special, but you didn't know it."[106]
He then subsequently signed a deal withVillage Roadshow Pictures.[107]
Garnett wore clothing branded as "OBF", standing for "Official Block Family." The name came from what he called his close group of friends from Beechwood Court inMauldin, South Carolina.[108] He brought OBF members to live with him in his Minnesota home, and let some onboard team charter flights during road trips.[109][22][110] He metJimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the Grammy-winning record producers forJanet Jackson andBoyz II Men, early in his career in Minnesota and considers them as mentors.[21]
In July 2004, Garnett married his longtime girlfriend Brandi Padilla during a private ceremony inCalifornia.[111] Due to the wedding, Garnett did not take part in theAthens Olympic Games.[112] The couple has two daughters. On July 12, 2018, Garnett's wife filed for divorce, asking for custody of the children.[113][114] Garnett is the half-brother of former basketball playerLouis McCullough. Another professional basketball player, formerLos Angeles LakerShammond Williams, is his cousin.[115]
His nicknames include "The Big Ticket," "KG," "The Kid," and "The Franchise" (after being known as theMinnesota Timberwolves' franchise player).[14] He mentally prepared himself before games by banging his head against a padded basketball stanchion.[116] Although Garnett is officially listed as 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) by the NBA, he is widely accepted to be at least 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) tall.[117][118] During the2007 NBA All-Star Game, Garnett admitted in an interview withCraig Sager to be "6 ft 11 in and some quarters" tall.[119] Measurements from the1995 NBA draft indicated that Garnett, 19 years old at the time, was 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) tall barefoot.[120] In 1997, Garnett was measured by the Minnesota Timberwolves training staff to be 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) tall in his basketball shoes.[121] In December 2011, Garnett agreed to become a limited shareholder of American-owned ItalianSerie Afootball teamA.S. Roma.[122]
In February 2021,Simon & Schuster published Garnett's autobiography,KG: A to Z: An Uncensored Encyclopedia of Life, Basketball, and Everything in Between, written withDavid Ritz. In the book, Garnett describes his involvement with various sneaker manufacturers.[123]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| † | Won anNBA championship | * | Led the league | ‡ | NBA record |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995–96 | Minnesota | 80 | 43 | 28.7 | .491 | .286 | .705 | 6.3 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 1.6 | 10.4 |
| 1996–97 | Minnesota | 77 | 77 | 38.9 | .499 | .286 | .754 | 8.0 | 3.1 | 1.4 | 2.1 | 17.0 |
| 1997–98 | Minnesota | 82* | 82* | 39.3 | .491 | .188 | .738 | 9.6 | 4.2 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 18.5 |
| 1998–99 | Minnesota | 47 | 47 | 37.9 | .460 | .286 | .704 | 10.4 | 4.3 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 20.8 |
| 1999–00 | Minnesota | 81 | 81 | 40.0 | .497 | .370 | .765 | 11.8 | 5.0 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 22.9 |
| 2000–01 | Minnesota | 81 | 81 | 39.5 | .477 | .288 | .764 | 11.4 | 5.0 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 22.0 |
| 2001–02 | Minnesota | 81 | 81 | 39.2 | .470 | .319 | .801 | 12.1 | 5.2 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 21.2 |
| 2002–03 | Minnesota | 82 | 82* | 40.5 | .502 | .282 | .751 | 13.4 | 6.0 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 23.0 |
| 2003–04 | Minnesota | 82 | 82 | 39.4 | .499 | .256 | .791 | 13.9* | 5.0 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 24.2 |
| 2004–05 | Minnesota | 82 | 82* | 38.1 | .502 | .240 | .811 | 13.5* | 5.7 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 22.2 |
| 2005–06 | Minnesota | 76 | 76 | 38.9 | .526 | .267 | .810 | 12.7* | 4.1 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 21.8 |
| 2006–07 | Minnesota | 76 | 76 | 39.4 | .476 | .214 | .835 | 12.8* | 4.1 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 22.4 |
| 2007–08† | Boston | 71 | 71 | 32.8 | .539 | .000 | .801 | 9.2 | 3.4 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 18.8 |
| 2008–09 | Boston | 57 | 57 | 31.1 | .531 | .250 | .841 | 8.5 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 15.8 |
| 2009–10 | Boston | 69 | 69 | 29.9 | .521 | .200 | .837 | 7.3 | 2.7 | 1.0 | .8 | 14.3 |
| 2010–11 | Boston | 71 | 71 | 31.3 | .528 | .200 | .862 | 8.9 | 2.4 | 1.3 | .8 | 14.9 |
| 2011–12 | Boston | 60 | 60 | 31.1 | .503 | .333 | .857 | 8.2 | 2.9 | .9 | 1.0 | 15.8 |
| 2012–13 | Boston | 68 | 68 | 29.7 | .496 | .125 | .786 | 7.8 | 2.3 | 1.1 | .9 | 14.8 |
| 2013–14 | Brooklyn | 54 | 54 | 20.5 | .441 | .000 | .809 | 6.6 | 1.5 | .8 | .7 | 6.5 |
| 2014–15 | Brooklyn | 42 | 42 | 20.3 | .455 | .167 | .829 | 6.8 | 1.6 | 1.0 | .3 | 6.8 |
| Minnesota | 5 | 5 | 19.6 | .581 | .000 | .500 | 5.2 | 1.6 | 1.0 | .8 | 7.6 | |
| 2015–16 | Minnesota | 38 | 38 | 14.6 | .470 | .000 | .667 | 3.9 | 1.6 | .7 | .3 | 3.2 |
| Career | 1,462 | 1,425 | 34.5 | .497 | .275 | .789 | 10.0 | 3.7 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 17.8 | |
| All-Star | 14 | 11 | 20.5 | .511 | .000 | .875 | 6.3 | 2.9 | 1.1 | .8 | 11.3 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Minnesota | 3 | 3 | 41.7 | .471 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 9.3 | 3.7 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 17.3 |
| 1998 | Minnesota | 5 | 5 | 38.8 | .480 | .000 | .778 | 9.6 | 4.0 | .8 | 2.4 | 15.8 |
| 1999 | Minnesota | 4 | 4 | 42.5 | .443 | .000 | .739 | 12.0 | 3.8 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 21.8 |
| 2000 | Minnesota | 4 | 4 | 42.8 | .385 | .667 | .813 | 10.8 | 8.8 | 1.3 | .8 | 18.8 |
| 2001 | Minnesota | 4 | 4 | 41.3 | .466 | .000 | .833 | 12.0 | 4.3 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 21.0 |
| 2002 | Minnesota | 3 | 3 | 43.3 | .429 | .500 | .719 | 18.7 | 5.0 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 24.0 |
| 2003 | Minnesota | 6 | 6 | 44.2 | .514 | .333 | .607 | 15.7 | 5.2 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 27.0 |
| 2004 | Minnesota | 18 | 18 | 43.5 | .452 | .313 | .776 | 14.6 | 5.1 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 24.3 |
| 2008† | Boston | 26‡ | 26‡ | 38.0 | .495 | .250 | .810 | 10.5 | 3.3 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 20.4 |
| 2010 | Boston | 23 | 23 | 33.3 | .495 | .000 | .839 | 7.4 | 2.5 | 1.1 | .9 | 15.0 |
| 2011 | Boston | 9 | 9 | 36.3 | .441 | .000 | .759 | 10.9 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 14.9 |
| 2012 | Boston | 20 | 20 | 36.9 | .497 | .250 | .813 | 10.3 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 19.2 |
| 2013 | Boston | 6 | 6 | 35.3 | .500 | .000 | .941 | 13.7 | 3.5 | .8 | 1.0 | 12.7 |
| 2014 | Brooklyn | 12 | 12 | 20.8 | .524 | .000 | .739 | 6.3 | 1.3 | .8 | .4 | 6.9 |
| Career | 143 | 143 | 36.9 | .478 | .273 | .789 | 10.7 | 3.3 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 18.2 | |
Garnett has a long list of achievements and records, including:[6]
Achievements:
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