Kevin Garnett has been in the NBA since he was a teenager. Now, 21 years after first being drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves, it appears that the 39-year-old, 15-time All-Star isn’t willing to give it up quite yet.
Wolves owner Glen Taylor indicated as much early Thursday morning:
Spoke w/ Glen Taylor yesterday. On KG's future: "You'd have to ask him, but from everything he's told me, he wants to be (back)." #twolves
— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) April 7, 2016
Pretty much a non-factor on the court since putting up an All-Star appearance with the Boston Celtics in 2012-13, Garnett has played a grand total of 139 games over the past three seasons.
This year alone, the future Hall of Famer is averaging just 3.2 points in 14.6 minutes of action. He hasn’t suited up since January after suffering a knee injury in a game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Proving that he’s not one to give up on the game he’s played more more than half his life, Garnett brings more to the table than what he does on the court in Minnesota.
He acts as another assistant coach on the bench and has done a lot to help likely Rookie of the Year Karl-Anthony Towns progress at the rapid clip we have seen this year.
It’s not all too uncommon for former All-Stars to hang on well past their prime. We have seen this over and over again throughout the years. In most cases, it’s more about a sense of belonging and the entire culture surrounding the game.
For Garnett, that took on a whole new meaning after he was dealt back to Minnesota last season after spending nearly eight years away from the organization that originally drafted him.
Garnett, a one-time NBA champion, remains the only player in Association history to record at least 25,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, 5,000 assists, 1,500 steals and 1,500 blocks in his career.