Kevin Garnett is easily one of the greatest forwards in NBA history, even though he emerged in an era where he was competing with Dirk Nowitzki and Tim Duncan.
Garnett was a modern big that could guard you in every spot on the court while having a silky smooth mid-range jumper. He was coming straight out of high school, and Isiah Thomas revealed he almost drafted Garnett with the 7th pick in the 1995 Draft.
“I’m gonna remind you of a guy by the name of Marcus Camby that I had. A brother that you love named Doug Christie. One that I drafted by the name of Tracy McGrady and a Rookie of the Year point guard named Damon Stoudamire. Then number 15 Vince Carter. Them was the guys… What I wanted to do in Toronto, we called it the Raptor 2. What was the Raptor 2? The Raptor 2 was going to be a 6’7″ to 6’9″ power forward who had guard skills. If you remember offense back then, the four always pinned down on the two. We wanted to be able to switch the four and the two but on the offensive end, we wanted the guard or the four, who would’ve been McGrady or Carter, they would have guard skills. Now they can break it down, they can shoot the three, they can get to the basket, guys like Oakley couldn’t guard them on the perimeter.”
Thomas went on to explain how Kevin Garnett perfectly fit that system and how perfect of a prospect he was for the cutting-edge Raptors. He told a story about discovering Garnett in South Carolina before explaining how he was the perfect fit.
“When I saw Kevin Garnett… I was like, ‘That’s my Raptor 2.’ That’s who I want… I see Kevin Garnett and I was like, ‘He’s the one.’ He got it all. He got the understanding, he’s smart, he’s got the personality, he’s got the motor, he’s got the engine, he’s got everything you looking for.”
Thomas then narrated the story of how Garnett was selected by Kevin McHale and the Minnesota Timberwolves 2 picks before the Raptors were on the board, selecting Damon Stoudamire instead.
“Around Garnett’s draft, there was a lot of bad talk around him. He’s a great player but can you really trust him? Character? I helped that narrative because I wanted him to fall to us. I get a call from (Kevin) McHale and he goes, ‘I need you to be honest with me. Tell me about this kid Garnett, I can’t get a read on him.’ I said, ‘Kevin if you’re not gonna draft him, I’m gonna draft him.’ He says, ‘You really would take him?’ I said, “Absolutely. He’d be great with you but if you don’t take him, I’m definitely taking him. Everything else you’re hearing around him is straight noise. He goes, ‘Alright.’ He ends up taking Kevin.”
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Thomas saw Garnett’s full potential, as we now know him as a former champion, DPOY, and MVP. In an era of dominant power forwards that changed the game, Garnett stood among the best of them every season.
Kevin Garnett’s Legendary Career
Kevin Garnett worked for everything in his career, including his early path to the NBA. He was drafted fresh out of high school by the Wolves but became the team’s star player by taking them to the playoffs as a sophomore. After ushering in the greatest era of the Wolves’ success, Garnett would eventually be traded to the Boston Celtics, where he’d become an NBA Champion. He averaged 7.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.5 steals over his career.
KG ended up enjoying a 20-year career and retired in 2015, back with the team that drafted him in Minnesota. He’s had some terrific teammates over his career that helped him become an NBA legend. But if he was drafted onto the Raptors and played alongside T-Mac and Vince Carter, we may be talking about one of the greatest trios in league history.
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