Ahead of his jersey retirement ceremony on Sunday, former NBA big man Kevin Garnett looked back on his career and his journey to the NBA.
In a conversation with Kyle Hightower of boston.com, he opened up about his basketball tenure and how he feels being recognized by one of basketball’s greatest franchises.
“I’m just trying to soak it up, being honest, I’m trying to be very humble. I don’t know. I’m just it’s all a shock to me, you know what I mean? When kids come up to me and they express their appreciation for different things. I don’t really know what to say other than, ‘Thank you,’” Garnett said. “I just stayed true to what I was and who I was. It was the easiest thing to do. I didn’t want to be something I wasn’t.”
KG was drafted out of High School in 1995 and went on to become a 15x All-Star, 9x All-NBA player, 1x MVP, and 1x Champion.
Still, he admitted to Hightower that he had his doubts coming in.
“I had a lot of confidence in myself. I had a lot of confidence in my ability. I think my big worries were how would I mesh with Paul? How would I mesh with Ray? How to mesh with some of the young guys here?” Garnett recalled. “(Former general manager Danny Ainge) had a plan. I don’t know if that was the exact plan, but it worked out.”
Before joining Boston, Garnett was leading the Minnesota Timberwolves, making them a relevant force in the West practically on his own.
And now, he’s about to be immortalized forever while his jersey hangs in the rafters.
It’s a surreal moment for any player, but it seems almost more special for Garnett, who found a true home in Boston.
