The final seasons of Kevin Garnett‘s celebrated career saw him return to the place where it all began: Minnesota. Traded by the Brooklyn Nets to the Timberwolves in February 2015, KG was no longer the do-it-all power forward that he once was when he joined the NBA in the 1990s.
But what he lacked in mobility and athleticism, he made up for in experience and wisdom. As one of the greatest players to ever play in the NBA, he had a lot to share with the Timberwolves’ budding stars, Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins.
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He took this role seriously, too, especially after realizing how today’s young hoopers enter the league without a mastery of the game’s fundamentals, no thanks to the influence of the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) basketball.
Tried to pay it forward
KG spent his first 12 seasons in Minnesota, where he grew up, both on and off the court. Although he was traded to the Boston Celtics in July 2007, he never forgot his first team. He recognized the importance of giving back to the organization that took a chance on him and gave him the space and opportunity to carve out a Hall of Fame career.
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“I wanted to be able to give this back to this young kid now, KAT, and I wanted to give him everything that I had. And you don’t get that over segments — you get that through a course of a year,” Garnett said in a conversation with his former coach, Kevin McHale. “And I had them every day. We’d see each other, same thing with Wigs.”
After KG’s close friend, confidante and former head coach, Flip Saunders, passed away in October 2015, he helped bring in a coach who he believed could turn things around in Minnesota: his former teammate, Sam Mitchell.
“I would share myself and share whatever I had to give to the guys. That’s really what I wanted to do. I wanted to be part of an organization that I could actually have some stake and some skin into, which I thought I did,” Garnett continued. “I brought Sam in, and the plan was to have Sam be this leader for the future.”
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“We all agreed that his style was a bit unorthodox, but it was impressionable, it was impactful, and more importantly, it was something that taught — which is what these kids need,” he added. “This league now is at a point where you have to teach more than anything.”
KG blames the AAU system
Garnett passionately blamed the AAU basketball system for young players’ decline in fundamental skills. AAU teams gather talented players from various schools to compete in national tournaments, often prioritizing team success over individual development.
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In addition, these teams typically move from one tournament to another, going from state to state, leaving little time for practices, skill-building, or even rest.
“AAU has killed our league. Seriously. I hate to even say this, but it’s real. AAU has killed our league from the perspective that these kids are not being taught anything,” KG surmised. “They have intentions and they want things, but the way they see it is not how our league works. You earn everything in this league. You’re not entitled to anything.”
KG is not the only NBA legend who feels this way about AAU basketball. The late, great Kobe Bryant also said in a separate interview back in 2011 that AAU was the “worst thing to happen to college basketball ever.”
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“They’re killing the game,” the Black Mamba declared. “I hate AAU more than anything in the world. These kids aren’t getting good coaching. They’re playing too many games and not working on their game enough.”
KG and Kobe were players cut from the same cloth. While they were both blessed with incredible athleticism and natural basketball talent, they worked hard to develop their fundamental skills to dominate on the court. Yes, they could execute flashy crossovers and thunderous slams. Still, all that came from mastering the basics — something they felt was not being emphasized enough in young ballers on the AAU circuit.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 27, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.