Kevin Garnett

Not many players have the ability and talent to come straight out of high school and start as a rookie for an NBA franchise. But Kevin Garnett did and in 2008, all of his hard worked paid off when he won an NBA title with the Boston Celtics.

Kevin Garnett was drafted with the fifth overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves, who weren’t known for their championship ways. Garnett became the first player to be drafted directly out of high school since Moses Malone in 1974.

The Timberwolves still struggled initially when Garnett came on board, but they did find a measure of success when he became their franchise player in 1997. Even though the team was heavily criticized for signing Garnett to a six-year, $126 million contract in 1997, he continued to improve his game, averaging 18.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.7 steals per game. He also led Minnesota to the playoffs, although they lost in the first round to the Seattle SuperSonics.

Through all the trials and tribulations, Kevin Garnett remained a Minnesota Timberwolve. But frustration finally settled in and in the midst of yet another rebuilding year, the team traded Garnett to the Boston Celtics in exchange for multiple players.

In just one season, Garnett and teammates Paul Pierce and Ray Rice transformed the Celtics into the best team in the NBA. Not only did they finish with the best record in the NBA in 2007, but they also won the NBA Finals, defeating Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.

On top of finally being an NBA Champion, Kevin Garnett also won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in 2004, the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2008 and is a four-time All-NBA First Team selection.

He is an 11-time NBA All-Star, has been a nine-time All-NBA selection and won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2008. He has also been a nine-time All-Defensive selection, which proves he’s much more than just a top offensive playmaker.

Kevin Garnett is the definition of an all-around player. In a league where offense gets all of the attention, Garnett is one of the best defenders in the NBA, as well as a top scorer year in and year out. When the Timberwolves were struggling through down years, Garnett continued to produce outstanding numbers and never took a play off. Now that he’s an NBA Champion, he is truly a legend in the game of basketball and considering the Celtics are still stacked with talent, Garnett might win a few more titles before his career is finished.