Kevin Garnett is a former American basketball player. Actually, he started playing in high school. But his journey to fame began in 1995 when he joined McDonald’s All-American at the Farragut Career Academy and was named National Player of the Year. That same year, the 19-year-old signed up for the 1995 NBA draft, was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the fifth overall selection, and became the first NBA player to be drafted right out of high school after 20 years.
During his 21-season career in the National Basketball Association (NBA), he played for the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Boston Celtics, and the Brooklyn Nets before retiring in 2016.
Kevin Garnett Bio & Age
Kevin was born on May 19, 1976, in the town of Greenville, South Carolina. His mother Shirley Garnett and father O’Lewis McCullough were never married, in fact, the relationship between his parents supposedly ended after his birth.
Garnett grew up with his mother, two half-sisters, and a stepfather, Ernest Irby, with whom he never got along. Although he developed a love for basketball in middle school, it wasn’t until the first three years of high school that he played at Mauldin High School in Mauldin, South Carolina, where he showed his love for the game and showed exceptional skills in the game by playing on the school basketball team. After his junior high school, Kevin Garnett had to be transferred to the Farragut Career Academy, Chicago, after he was charged with second-degree lynching after a fight avoided in the neighborhood between blacks and whites against himself and other students.
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During his time at Farragut Career Academy, however, he never gave up his love of the game, joined the school’s basketball team, and was soon named National High School Player of the Year by USA Today after leading the school team to a 28-2 record. During his four years in high school, he set an impressive record: 2,553 points, 1,809 rebounds, and 737 blocked shots. In high school, Kevin Garnett played alongside another talented student who later became professional basketball player Ronnie Fields.
After scoring 18 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocked shots, Kevin was named the most outstanding player in the McDonald’s All-American Game and was then considered for the 1995 NBA Draft. He was also honored as one of the top 35 McDonald’s All-American players at the 35th anniversary of the McDonald’s All-American High School Boys basketball game.
Kevin Garnett Career
He started playing professionally in 1995 after being selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 1995 NBA draft. This made him the first NBA player to be drafted directly from high school since 1975, and at that time he was also the youngest NBA player.
After his first contract expired, Garnett agreed to a six-year contract extension with the Timberwolves worth $126 million. Many condemned the contract and called it a great risk, given the enormous amount of money involved. Popular analysts even speculated that the contract would make it impossible for the Wolves to sign new players. However, the Wolves had so much confidence in the abilities of the young and talented player who soon began to deliver.
This season Garnett averaged 18.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.7 steals in every game. The Timberwolves ended the season with their first winning record in the franchise’s history (45-37) and Kevin won his first all-star game.
Although Garnett was named to the Second All-Star team in the 2004-05 season, the Timberwolves failed to make the playoffs for the first time in eight years with a record 44-38, and the excitement began to build, not only for the team alone but also for the young player. The following season (2005-2006) was no better, with Garnett’s performances notwithstanding, the team still held the second-worst record since Garnett’s entry into the franchise, and the following season the young player had to be traded to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Sebastian Telfair, Al Jefferson, Theo Ratliff, Gerald Green, and Ryan Gomes.
His debut in Boston was in a game against the Washington Wizards, and he scored an astonishing 22 points and 20 rebounds. In 2012 he agreed to a three-year contract extension with the Celtics worth $34 million. The following year, he scored his 25,000th point in a 116-95 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
When the NBA draft opened in 2013, the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets agreed on a trade with Garnett, Jason Terry, and Paul Pierce for future first-round games in 2014, 2016, and 2018 draft rounds. That’s exactly what they did, and that trade saw Garnett with the Brooklyn Nets until 2015 when he waived his no-trade clause to be returned to Minnesota in exchange for Thaddeus Young.
He played 38 of the team’s first 45 games of the season but missed the entire second half of the season due to a right knee injury. Although Garnett wanted to play another season with the Timberwolves, his knee injury did not heal as quickly as expected. He announced his retirement on September 26, 2016, after playing 21 seasons in the NBA.
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After Retirement
Kevin Garnett has not been idle since his retirement. A month after his retirement, he became a crew member of TNT’s Inside the NBA and later the host of his own Area 21 segment, became a consultant for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2017, and also advised the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2016-17 season.
During his season, Garnett was also part of the United States national team that participated in the 2000 Summer Olympics, where he won a gold medal.
Who Is Kevin Garnett’s Wife (Brandi Padilla)? Kids
Garnett is happily married to Brandi Padilla. The couple made the bond of marriage in a private ceremony that took place in California in 2004 after many years together. The couple is blessed with two beautiful daughters.
Net Worth
By the end of his 21-season NBA career, Garnett had net assets of $326 million, one of the highest in NBA history. This figure includes salaries, earnings, bonuses, and sponsorship money.
Height And Weight
Kevin has such an intimidating height, which was probably one of the reasons why he was such a big shot. He’s six feet tall, which is two and a half inches, and weighs 109 kg, which makes it all even.
