Garnett retires after 21 seasons
retire on Friday. The team will waive the franchise icon, which will allow him to collect his entire $8 million salary for next season. That is the same approach the San Antonio Spurs took with Tim Duncan.
“I’m proud of our association with Kevin, just seeing him grow over the years,” Wolves owner Glen Taylor told The Associated Press. “I wish him the very best in the future and want to thank him, along with our fans, for the great memories that he has given us.”
The 15-time All-Star was Most Valuable Player in 2004 after leading the Timberwolves to the Western Conference finals and ranks first in the league in career defensive rebounds, third in minutes played and fifth in games played.
The 40-year-old Garnett put the Timberwolves on the map by turning one of the most hapless franchises in professional sports into a perennial playoff team. He later helped return the Boston Celtics to glory, winning a championship in 2008. And he did it all with an unmatched competitive drive that made him a renowned terror in practices and versatile dynamo in games.
“Everything changed the day Kevin arrived in Boston,” Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck said. “From that moment we knew we would get to the Finals and have a chance to win. I’ve never met such a relentless competitor or such a great teammate. I’m so proud he will always be a Celtic champion.”
He came into the league straight from high school in 1995, the first player to do so in 20 years. The move paved the way for Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Tracy McGrady to follow him, and for the league to institute a rule requiring players to be one year removed from high school before being draft-eligible. Garnett also made more than $330 million in his career, the most by any player in league history, and owners dug their heels in during a lengthy lockout in 1997 after a 21-year-old Garnett signed a six-year, $126 million deal.