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The Top 10 Moments Of Kevin Garnett’s Career

By Gerald Bourguet

Nov 27, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett (21) look on from the sideline during the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Sleep Train Arena. The The Timberwolves won 101-91. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett (21) look on from the sideline during the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Sleep Train Arena. The The Timberwolves won 101-91. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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Kevin Garnett
Mar 7, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett (21) raises his arms to get the crowd pumped up in the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Target Center. The Timberwolves won 121-113. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /

4. An Everlasting Competitive Fire

So far, we’ve mostly covered Kevin Garnett’s accolades, accomplishments, statistics and playoff moments. But none of this truly captures KG as person or player, since what made him so unforgettable was his unquenchable thirst to win.

KG’s passion for the game rivaled that of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant to the point of coming off as maniacal or just downright weird. His intensity intimidated opponents, front offices and reporters alike. From his trash talk to the way he would block meaningless shots after the whistle to send a message, KG might be the most beloved NBA bully of all time.

Before games, Garnett would head-butt the stanchion of the basket to get himself properly psyched. He carried that same intensity with him throughout the game, and a lot of the time, it would transfer off the court too.

For example, in perhaps the most early-2000s sentence ever written, there was the time Kevin Garnett destroyed part of his house because he was displeased with the effort on MTV’s Making The Band:

There was the time he completely shattered Joakim Noah‘s perception of his childhood hero during Noah’s rookie season:

There was the time before an NBA Finals game when KG had to ask Doc Rivers to put him in timeout because he was too hyped up:

None of this should be surprising for a guy who inspired thousands of 2000s kids with his ads for Adidas and proved that Impossible was nothing.

None of it should be shocking for a guy who once compared his jump shot to a booty call, blocked shots after the whistle and did bare-knuckle pushups in the middle of playoff games.

But even if none of it is shocking, KG’s unwavering commitment to winning never came off as cockiness or pigheadedness. It was always endearing somehow, even if we often questioned the man’s sanity in the process.

That demeanor fit in perfectly with the hard-nosed city of Boston, not only because he backed it up with his play, but because fans everywhere could identify with the grit and insatiable desire to win.

He didn’t make many friends in the process, but that was never his goal. The trash-talking solidified KG’s status as an outright wacko at times, with recent scuffles with Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony (allegedly because of what he said about Melo’s wife, though that was never credibly proven) being great examples.

Sometimes, he definitely crossed the line. What he said about Charlie Villanueva was insensitive, and some of the tall tales surrounding his trash talk are truly eye-opening.

But most of the time, we chalked up Kevin Garnett’s competitive streak to KG just being KG. Him making Glen Davis cry in the huddle, telling Craig Sager to burn all his clothes or refusing to acknowledge Ray Allen after the sharpshooter left Boston for the Miami Heat was amusing and perfectly in line with his character.

It defined his legacy to a certain degree. Kevin Garnett never came off as the most sane individual, but there was no question about who you’d want on your side when it was time to go to war.

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