Ranking the 10 greatest NBA players drafted out of high school

3. There is, and only ever will be, one Kevin Garnett in the NBA.

Among the greatest power forwards to grace the hardwood, Kevin Garnett was one of a kind. An extremely intense man and prolific trash talker, KG was the driving force behind every team he played for up until the twilight of his career. Monstrous defensively and adaptable on offense, KG was the anchor and focal point of several memorable teams.

His heyday was in Minnesota, where he carried the Timberwolves into the postseason conversation every year for a decade. At his five-year peak (2003 to 2007), Garnett was a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate averaging 22.7 points, 13.3 rebounds, five assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.4 steals per game. KG was the league MVP in 2004 but eventually moved on from being the main attraction to a piece of the machine with the Boston Celtics in ’07.

Garnett was an absolute assassin from the post. His mid-range jumper was money and his fadeaway was silky. The hook shot was clean over either shoulder. If he missed the first shot, he had a good chance of snagging the rebound and putting it back in on the second. At times, KG could simply back his matchup down and punish them under the rim without anything fancy.

It doesn’t matter how he was playing, what he did, where he did it, or what his motivation was: Garnett would always impact the game and let you hear about it. That’s what made him great.