Kevin Garnett: NBA, Net Worth & Olympics

Former NBA player Kevin Garnett has left an unforgettable impact on NBA and is regarded as one of the finest power forwards of all time. 

Nicknamed the “Big Ticket” for his thunderous dunking and agility, Garnett is famed for his energy, defensive abilities, and flexibility. He was one of a kind and a perfect combination of speed, athleticism, and versatility.

The NBA legend never went to college. In fact, he was directly selected in the NBA draft after high school. Minnesota Timberwolves selected him as the 5th overall pick in the first round, and the rest is history.

Garnett has a long list of awards and achievements. He set several records in NBA. Kevin’s name shone beyond NBA as he won a gold medal for the USA team in the 2020 Olympics.

After stellar 21 years of NBA career, Kevin retired as a player but joined as a sports analyst to stay connected to the NBA.

This article covers the beautiful journey of NBA legend Kevin Garnett and his personal and professional life. But, before that, let’s take a look at his quick facts first.

Quick Facts

Early Life

The power forward was born on May 19, 1976, in Greenville, South Carolina. He was born to O’Lewis McCullough (father) and Shirley Garnett (mother).

Unfortunately, his parents never married as they broke up after the birth of Kevin.

The player was raised by his mother and stepfather, Ernest Irby, with whom he had a strained relationship. 

Kevin was the second child of, Shirley. He has two sisters: Sonya Garnett and Ashley Garnett, and a brother, Louis McCullough.

Education

Garnett attended Hillcrest Middle School and transferred to Mauldin High School in Mauldin, South Carolina. He started playing basketball in his high school and was on the basketball team.

However, Garnett had to face racism in his school and was suspended from the school with false accusations. He later graduated high school at Farragut Career Academy in Chicago. 

Kevin Garnett played for the high school team at Farragut Career Academy. He was voted National High School Player of the Year by USA Today for his stellar performance.

Furthermore, he was crowned as Mr. Basketball for the state of Illinois.

Kevin was also voted the Most Outstanding Player and one of the 35 Greatest McDonald’s All-Americans. Garnett was already a basketball star when he graduated from high school.

Age, Height & Weight

Kevin Garnett was born in 1976, which makes him [calculate years datestring= “05/19/1976”] as of 2024. People born in May are Taurus.

Furthermore, Kevin was born in Greenville, South Carolina, and identifies himself as an American of black ethnicity.

Also, Garnett is 2.11 tall and weighs around 240 lb. 

Professional Career

The Minnesota Timberwolves selected him as the fifth overall pick in the first round of the 1995 NBA draft. He was the first player in 20 years to be selected by an NBA team straight out of high school.

Garnett had left a strong impression with his combination of height, quickness, and shooting skill, making him a formidable opponent to match up against.

He was selected to participate in the NBA All-Star Game in his second season, and soon he was an NBA star.

In 1997, he agreed to a contract extension for $126 million over six years, making it the highest-paying long-term deal in American professional sports history.

Garnett shined playing for Minnesota as he yielded a slew of remarkable individual achievements.

In his first 12 seasons, he was an All-Star and was awarded the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2003–04. But, his team was left behind as it couldn’t even make it to the NBA finals.

Garnett was later moved to the Boston Celtics. But, as diamonds shine everywhere, he was voted NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and he led the Celtics to the NBA title in 2008.

However, Garnett was moved to the Brooklyn Nets after the 2012–13 season. He played with the Nets until 2015 and played for a season with Minnesota Timberwolves.

In September 2016, he retired as a basketball player ending his twenty-one years of NBA career. Following his retirement, he became a studio analyst for an NBA-themed television program.

In 2020, Garnett was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

International Tournaments

Kevin has represented the USA in several international basketball tournaments. He was a part of the United States national team that won gold in the 2000 Summer Olympics.

Apart from this, he led the team to win gold at the 1998 FIBA Americas Championship held in San Juan.

Awards And Achievements

Kevin Garnett has a long list of awards and achievements to his name. Some of them are listed below:

• NBA champion (2008)
• NBA Most Valuable Player (2004)
• Fifteen times NBA All-Star (1997, 1998, 2000–2011, 2013)
• NBA All-Star Game MVP (2003)
• Four times All-NBA First Team (2000, 2003, 2004, 2008)
• Three times All-NBA Second Team (2001, 2002, 2005)
• Two times All-NBA Third Team (1999, 2007)
• NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2008)
• Nine times NBA All-Defensive First Team (2000–2005, 2008, 2009, 2011)
• Three times NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2006, 2007, 2012)
• Four times  NBA rebounding champion (2004–2007)
• NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1996)
• J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award (2006)
• No. 5 retired by Boston Celtics
• Mr. Basketball USA (1995)
• Two times First-team Parade All-American (1994, 1995)
• McDonald’s All-American Game MVP (1995)
• Illinois Mr. Basketball (1995)
• South Carolina Mr. Basketball (1994)

Off The Court

Kevin Garnett also made his acting debut in the 2019 criminal thriller Uncut Gems. The Safdie brothers directed the film, where Garnett portrayed a fictionalized version of himself.

Garnett’s performance was well-received by the reviewers, and he also got a contract with Village Roadshow Pictures.

Apart from this, Garnett’s autobiography, KG: A to Z: An Uncensored Encyclopedia of Life, Basketball, and Everything in Between, was released by Simon & Schuster in February 2021.

Wife And Children

Kevin Garnett married his long-term girlfriend, Brandi Padilla, in July 2004. The lovers tied the knot in a private wedding in California. Garnett passed over the opportunity to play in Athens Olympic Games for the marriage.

Kevin was blessed with two daughters: Kapri Garnett (born in 2008) and Kavalli Garnett (born in 2013).

However, on July 12, 2018, Garnett’s wife filed for divorce, requesting custody of the children. Brandi said that she filed for the divorce due to personal issues which couldn’t be solved, and divorce was the only option.

The couple had a legal battle regarding child custody and spousal support. Kevin filed for joint support for the kids and dismissed the spousal support. Eventually, they reached an agreement, and the conflict was declared over.

Fast forward to today, it seems that Kevin has a new love in his life. However, it is not known who Kevin is dating.

He has been seen with this mystery woman several times. Stay tuned to know who that lady is.

Social Media Presence 

Kevin Garnett’s social media accounts are like a bridge to his life.

He is active on his social media profiles and updates on his life updates. Thus, if you want to connect to Garnett’s world, make sure to follow his social media profiles.

• Instagram (@tic_mix): 1 m followers 
• Twitter (@KevinGarnett5KG): 107.1 K followers 

Net Worth And Salary

Kevin Garnett has a net worth of a whopping $120 million as of 2024.

He earned a net worth from his NBA career and is one of the top ten richest NBA players ever.

Garnett earned approximately $334.3 million through the NBA contracts only. He was paid $12 million in his last season in the NBA.

At one point, Garnett was the highest-paid NBA player of all time, as he was paid $28 million for a season.

Apart from this, Kevin has collected fortunes out of endorsement deals as well.

He became the first All-Star player to sign a multi-million dollar endorsement deal with Chinese sportswear manufacturer Anta in 2010.

He was formerly endorsed by Adidas and was paid US$2 million per year.

Garnett signed with Nike after high school and departed after five years to join AND1 before joining Adidas.

Garnett also has his own Nike shoe, namely The Air Garnett 3, which is a trendy and best-selling Nike shoe.

Apart from this, Kevin also earns good fortune from sponsorships and investments.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)

What are the overall NBA statistics of Kevin Garnett?

In his NBA career, Kevin  Garnett played 1,462 games with an average of 10 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 3.7 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 17.8 points per game.

Overall, he has scored 26,071 points, 14,662 rebounds, and 313 assists.

Does Kevin Garnett have a ring?

Yes, Kevin has one ring, as he won one NBA championship playing for Boston Celtics in 2008. Despite being a stellar NBA player, Garnett shined as an individual than a team. So, he has only one ring.

Why is Kevin Garnett called The Big Ticket?

Kevin Garnett had been in the spotlight since his draft. He was very popular when he was playing with Minnesota Timberwolves, and people would pay the ticket to watch him play. Due to this, the arena was full whenever Kevin used to play, so he was called the big ticket.