Kevin Garnett
Kevin Garnett was drafted out of high school with
high hopes that he started to live up to at the close of his rookie year.
He ended up starting 43 games, most in the second half of the season.
Likened unto other high school draftee Shawn Kemp, he has already had a
better rookie year than the former Seattle Superstar. Kevin, a Graduate
of Farragut Academy in Chicago, didn't have the GPA to enroll in college
and be eligible for collegiate athletics. Therefore, he had no choice
but to declare early for the draft. He had no problem with this decision,
since teams wanted him after he was named the High School Player of the
Year by USA Today, and he was also on Parade Magazine's All-American First
Team. Kevin attended HS in South Carolina for 3 years, where he was named
Mr. Basketball for the state of SC after his junior year. When he came to
Chicago he was named Mr. Basketball for the state of Illinois as well.
Garnett is mature for his age, and has the respect, determination
and drive lacking in some of the other younger NBA players. He credits
the tutelage of Minnesota's GM, Kevin McHale, for helping him delevlop as
a player. Not one of the top 5 rookies, he was named to the NBA
All-Rookie Second Team. In his sophomore campaign, he demonstrated he's
in the top 4 or 5 of this draft class. That proves that the league had
best watch out for this teenager as he moves into his twenties. Minnesota
did not make a mistake spending a high draft pick on this soon to be
superstar. In 1997, Kevin was named to the all-star team as an injury
replacement. He was the first player from this class to go, and was the
second youngest player ever, next to Magic johnson, to play in the game.
In 1998 he was elected by the fans to start the game, becoming the first
T-Wolf to start. He was a starter again from 2000-2005. As a
rookie, Kevin set the Timberwolves team record for
blocks with 131, as he also led all rookies in the category. He was the
youngest draftee, but earned the fourth most money at 1,622,000. Kevin
signed a contract extension worth better than 121 million over 6 years on
the last day teams could sign this year's draft class to extensions, in
1998. Kevin has enrolled in correspondence courses at the University of
Minnesota as he works toward something very important to him, his college
degree. Kevin has had a taste of acting, playing Wilt Chamberlain in the
movie "Rebound". In 1999, Kevin was named to his first all NBA Team,
the Third Team, in what's sure to be a long line of selections. In 2000
he won a spot on the All-NBA First Team and was a Second Team selection in
2001 and 2002. He was back on the All-NBA First Team in 2003, and once again in 2004. In fact, in 2004, he was named league MVP in a landslide over Tim Duncan, after leading the league in total points and total rebounds. He also led his team to the best record in the Western Conference, quite a feat indeed with the likes of the Lakers, Kings and Spurs all dominating the league. He led the league in rebounds per game and was second in points per game. Garnett and Larry Bird are the only two players to average 20 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in five consecutive seasons. Unfortunately, his T-Wolves didn't make the playoffs in 2005, although his stats didn't slide much, he was only named to the All-NBA Second Team that year. He slipped all the way to the All-NBA Third Team in 2007. To demonstrate that he is an all-around player, Kevin
stepped up
his defensive game in 1999-2000, being named to the All-Defensive First
Team. He has been named to six in a row now, through 2005. He was bumped to the All-Defensive Second Team in 2006. Kevin has
also been named to the USA Men's 2000 Olympic Basketball Team. Garnett
was named to the All-Interview First team in 2000 and again in 2001 and
2002. On October 2, 2003 Minnesota signed Kevin Garnett to a 5 year contract extension with a
player opt-out after the 4th year, rumored to be worth 100 million dollars. On July 30, 2007 Minnesota traded Kevin Garnett to Boston for Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff, Boston's 2009 1st round draft pick (lottery protected), the 1st round draft pick that Minnesota originally traded to Boston in 2006 (Wally Szczerbiak trade), and cash. Boston also signed Garnett to a contract extension for three years, and 51 million dollars through 2011-12.
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