Kevin Garnett, 40, is expected to announce his retirement from the NBA later today, ending a Hall of Fame worthy 21-year career. The 15-time All-Star will retire with career averages of 17.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game.
Kevin Garnett Retires From the NBA
Garnett spent the first 11 years of his career playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves before being traded to the Boston Celtics, where he won an NBA championship in 2008, and later the Brooklyn Nets. He spent the final year and a half of his career back where it all began in Minnesota.
From 1999 to 2005 Garnett missed just three games in total, propelling his Minnesota Timberwolves to the top of the Western Conference. Garnett was recognized as the 2004 NBA Most Valuable Player, a season in which he averaged 24.2 points, 13.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.2 blocks, and 1.5 steals as he led the Timberwolves to the best regular season record in the Western Conference. In 2008, Garnett, as a member of the Boston Celtics, took home the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award.
Garnett’s 15 All-Star Game appearances trail only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Kobe Bryant, and his nine First-Team All-Defense appearances are tied for the most in NBA history.
Garnett will be remembered as one of the best defenders in NBA history, known for his defensive intensity and trash talking. His legacy will reside in Minnesota, where he was the face of the franchise for over a decade, and in Boston, where he won his only championship alongside Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.
He joins superstars Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan, both of whom called it quits after the 2015-16 campaign, as arguably the best trio to ever step away from the game in the same off-season.
Garnett had 1 year and $8 million remaining on his contract, but he has reportedly agreed to a contract settlement with the Timberwolves.
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