After 21 seasons, 15 All-Star appearances, four first-team All-NBA selections, one MVP award and one NBA championship, Minnesota Timberwolves player Kevin Garnett is ending his professional basketball career.
Garnett posted a video to his official Instagram account Friday with the caption, "To be continued … ," confirming the news first reported on Friday by the Star Tribune, which called Garnett "the best player in franchise history."
A video posted by Kevin Garnett (@tic_pix) on Sep 23, 2016 at 2:42pm PDT
Garnett, now age 40, was the first player in 20 years to go directly from high school to the NBA when he was drafted as the fifth overall pick in 1995 by the Timberwolves. He was 19 at the time. At the time, the Wolves had not made the playoffs in their first six seasons as a team.
Garnett led the team to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history during his second season. In the spring of 2004, the team made it to the Western Conference finals, losing in six games to the Los Angeles Lakers.
In the summer of 2007, Garnett was traded to the Boston Celtics. He played six seasons for the Celtics before being traded to the Brooklyn Nets. After two seasons with the Nets, he returned to the Wolves in 2015.
Garnett and the Wolves reached an agreement for him not to play the second year of his two-year, $16.5 million contract. The Wolves will pay him the $8 million left on his contract.
Wolves owner Glen Taylor released the following statement regarding Garnett's retirement:
It has been a real joy to watch KG come into the league as a young man and watch him develop his skills to become one of the very best in the NBA. I have treasured the opportunity to see him grow as a leader. I wish him continued success in the next chapter of his life. His Minnesota fans will always cherish the memories he has provided.
Read more at the Star Tribune.