Kevin Garnett holds the distinction of being the first player ever to be drafted out of high school. However, being only 19 years old when he joined the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1995, he had to make several adjustments.
At his age, Garnett wasn’t able to do things that his older teammates did casually. That included going to bars, which is why he often stayed behind. It was just one of many things that he had to deal with, although the former fifth-round pick said he was coping with it.
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“I’m not going to say everything is roses,” Garnett said in 1995 via UPI. “But I’m doing all right.”
Being raw talent and lacking in maturity, it was understandable that people such as his agent, Eric Fleisher, had to control things a bit. After signing a three-year $5.6 million deal with Minnesota, he was placed on a strict allowance. The only luxury he had in his rookie year was a Lexus.
Beyond that, Garnett was treated like any other kid. He spent most of his time at home playing video games or watching television. He had to settle for this lifestyle initially until he was mature and responsible enough to manage his finances.
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Dealing with financial illiteracy
Fleisher’s guidance was commendable. Garnett admitted that he was financially illiterate and clueless about depositing money in the bank. Instead, he would hide his money somewhere safe in his home.
“I wasn’t financially savvy. I didn’t know about direct deposit. I didn’t know none of this. So when I get my check, I’d go cash it and bring it home and I would put it under my mattress,” Garnett admitted.
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That worked to some extent until Garnett realized it was best to keep his money in the bank. This was after he found out that his ex-girlfriend, who knew where he hid his money, took some cash and left him with a lot of IOUs under his mattress.
As he went along, his earnings would get bigger each time he got a new contract. In fact, after his rookie deal, he saw his pay skyrocket to $21 million a year. Given that amount of money, keeping his cash in the bank was the only logical thing to do.
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KG earned his keep
Given his talent, it was only to be expected that Garnett would earn more than his initial deal with the T-Wolves. But to do that, he had to find a way to maximize his talent and needed all the help he could get.
Kevin McHale, the vice president of basketball operations of the Timberwolves at the time, tried to teach Garnett a thing or two in his rookie season. Unfortunately, the latter felt the lessons weren’t working since he didn’t have big, wide shoulders, which McHale had.
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Hence, it was up to the South Carolina native to come into his own. He tried different playstyles and it all eventually boiled down to the kind of opponent he was playing against.
“I got two, three moves, I got confident, I knew how to get ’em off against smaller,” Garnett shared. “Taller guys I could face and go around ’em, and I started to understand how to use my speed.”
With the foundation set for Garnett, the rise to greatness followed. He made his mark as the face of the Timberwolves, proving McHale right.
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In fact, his hard work paid off handsomely — he won the 2004 MVP trophy. That year, Garnett averaged 24.2 points, 13.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in 82 regular-season games. It was the best year he had in his entire NBA career.
However, Garnett’s most memorable moment was in the 2007-08 season, when he was traded to the Boston Celtics.
He helped the Bean Town squad win the 2008 title and was also chosen as the 2008 Defensive Player of the Year, further enhancing his impressive basketball resume.
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It was a tough journey for Garnett, but all that hard work paid off. He got everything any NBA player would dream of.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 24, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.