Kevin Garnett

Born on May 19, 1976, Kevin Maurice Garnett nicknamed \"KG\", is an former American professional basketball player who plays as a power forward and center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is known for his athleticism, versatile skill set, defensive play and great dunking ability thus, was regarded as one of the best forwards in NBA history and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020. He was a 15-time All-Star, a 4-time rebounding champion, a 12-time All-Defensive team member, and won the NBA Defensive Player of the year award in 2008. He played 21 NBA seasons and led the Timberwolves to the playoffs eight times, including a trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2004. In 2007, Garnett was traded to the Boston Celtics, where he teamed up with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen to form a "Big Three" that won an NBA championship in 2008.

Early Life

He went to the Mauldin High School in Mauldin, South Carolina where he groomed his basketball skills and led his team to state championships in 1995. He was regarded as one of the top high school players and highly recruited by college basketball programs thus, he didn't go to the college and was drafted straight out of high school in 1995 by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

NBA Journey

He was named Mr. 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. He was named the Most Outstanding Player at the McDonald\'s All-American Game after registering 18 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocked shots, and then declared himself eligible for the 1995 NBA Draft. 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.

Garnett was drafted with the fifth pick of the 1995 NBA Draft by the struggling Minnesota Timberwolves, and became the first player to be drafted directly out of high school since 1975. During the 1997–98 NBA season, the Timberwolves and Garnett agreed on a six-year contract extension. Garnett made an immediate impact with the Minnesota Timberwolves leading them to eight-consecutive playoff appearances. In 2004, Garnett led the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals and won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award. Since his second season in the NBA, Garnett has been named to 14 All-Star Games, winning the All-Star MVP award in 2003, and is currently tied for 3rd-most All-Star selections in NBA history. He was awarded the regular season\ 's NBA Defensive Player of the Year in the 2007–08 season and has been a nine-time member of the All-NBA Teams selection and a twelve-time member of the All-Defensive Teams selection.

Awards and Achievements

Records

• He scored 15 triple doubles which is most by a 7 footer in NBA history.

• He is the all-time leader in defensive rebounds in NBA history with 11,453.

• He holds the Timberwolves franchise records for points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks.

• He is one of only four players in NBA history to record at least 25,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, and 5,000 assists in his career.

Net Worth

The former Timberwolves forward and a NBA champion has a net worth of $125 million. Kevin Garneet has a long successful NBA career, playing for several teams including Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets that made him earn approximately $343 million in salary alone, making him one of the highest-paid players in league history. Apart from basketball he also generates revenue from endorsements with big companies like Adidas and American Express. He also started his own clothing line and invested in a company that invests in new technology businesses.

Family

Kevin Garnett was born to Shirley Garnett and O'Lewis McCullough on May 19, 1976, in Greenville, South Carolina, and grew up in Mauldin, South Carolina. His father and mother got separated when Kevin was young and as a result, he was brought up with his mother. Shirley Garnett worked in multiple jobs to support his family and Kevin saw all the determination and hard work which his mother did and acquired all himself. Kevin Garnett married Brandi Padilla, and they have two children together, Capri and Kavalli. Kevin has been very close to his family but always been out of the public eye recently, when he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 Garnett dedicated his speech to his family, saying that they were his "foundation" and that he couldn't have achieved his success without them.

Wife

The former NBA player married to Brandi Padilla, in 2004. She is a former long-time employee of the American Airlines Arena in Miami, where the Miami Heat play. The couple has two daughters together, Capri and Kavalli. The family largely prefers to be out of the spotlight. However, Kevin Garnett has spoken publicly about the importance of his family, as a source of support, strength and love in his life.