Longevity is an attribute often taken for granted in the NBA. While having talent and natural ability is essential, it’s rare that a player is able to consistently dominant for a long period of time.
We’ve seen guys like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James enjoy decades of success — but did you know that Kevin Garnett was also a master of longevity?
Garnett played 21 seasons in the league before he retired in 2016, making 15 All-Star appearances, 9 All-NBA teams, and 1 MVP award. On Reddit, one user noted an insane, but true, fact about his career: Garnett has played against both Magic Johnson and Nikola Jokic.
Out of all the “X played against Y and Z” pieces of trivia I’ve seen, this seems the most unbelievable to me. The greatest PG and the greatest playmaking center of all time, who’s peaks have about 35 years between them. Coincidentally, both of these greats came off the bench, while KG started both games.
For his game against Magic, you have to go back to 1996, when a rookie-year KG went up against the Lakers. It would be the only time Magic and Kevin would share the court together.
It would be almost 20 years later that KG would play against Nikola Jokic, a guy who has just five years of experience in the league, as of today.
Time is a crazy thing, and being able to remain on an NBA roster for so long is a pretty amazing feat.
Kudos to the legend, Kevin Garnett, for so many years of excellence.
