Garnett says ‘farewell’ after 21 seasons

MINNEAPOLIS >> Kevin Garnett has decided to retire after 21 seasons in the NBA, leaving a legacy as one of the best defensive players in league history and one of the game’s most influential and intense competitors.

Garnett posted a video on his Instagram account on Friday, saying “farewell” and “thank you for the journey.” He narrates the short, black-andwhite video that shows him walking alone through Target Center with sunglasses on.

“I’m just thankful. I can’t even put that into words,” Garnett says. “I’m just thankful. I’m just thankful for everybody and the love. I never would have thought that people love me like this. But, for it to be reality is just something else, man. Man.”

Garnett informed the Timberwolves of his decision to 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 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.

He came into the league straight from high school in 1995, the first player to do so in two decades. The decision was considered a risk at the time, but Garnett’s success paved the way for Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Tracy McGrady to follow him. Garnett also made more than $330 million in his career, the most by any player in league history.

Garnett departs as one of the league’s elder statesman. He won the MVP in 2004 after leading the Timberwolves to the Western Conference finals and later teamed with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen to revive the Boston Celtics as an Eastern Conference power. He spent a forgettable season and a half with the Brooklyn Nets before the late Flip Saunders convinced Garnett to agree to a trade to return to Minnesota at the deadline in 2015.

When Garnett first arrived in Boston, then-coach Doc Rivers remembered thinking “No one can be this intense. No one can be this professional. No one can be this bought in to their team.

“I thought in Boston he just changed our culture. He literally changed our culture. You look at all the things he stands for. He follows through on all of them.”

During his second stint with the Wolves, he served as a mentor to youngsters like Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, Gorgui Dieng and Zach LaVine, instilling in them a sense of intensity and professionalism that helped lay the foundation for what the team hopes is a breakout year for the upcoming season.