The Minnesota Timberwolves made history during the 1995 NBA draft when they selected the first player to be drafted right out of high school in about 20 years. When Darryl Dawkins and Bill Willoughby were drafted in 1975, they were the first players ever to be selected in the NBA Draft out of high school. That wouldn’t happen again until the Timberwolves drafted Kevin Garnett, and he made his NBA debut during the 1995-96 season.
Monday marked 30 years since Kevin Garnett made his NBA debut with the Timberwolves, and the Hall of Famer took to social media to convey his thoughts on the beginning of his career.
“30 years is crazy,” Garnett posted along with a fire emoji.
Garnett’s NBA debut was against the Sacramento Kings, and he came off the bench and played around 16 minutes. He would finish with eight points, one rebound and one assist while shooting a perfect 4-of-4 from the field.
Garnett would go on to play 12 seasons with the Timberwolves, leading the franchise to the Western Conference Finals in 2004. He was a ten-time All-Star in Minnesota and the greatest player in franchise history to this point. He was ultimately traded to the Boston Celtics ahead of the 2007-08 season, helping lead the organization, alongside Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, to its 17th championship in franchise history.
He would play six seasons for the Celtics before being traded to the Brooklyn Nets. Garnett would spent about one and half seasons with the Nets before returning to the Timberwolves via trade. He would finish his career where it all began, retiring after the 2015-16 season.
Garnett was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 and was also a part of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team. His career included 15 All-Star appearances, an MVP award and a Defensive Player of the Year award. In total, he played 21 seasons in the NBA.
