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[NBA] The Big Ticket leaves the court

Posted September. 26, 2016 07:09,   

Updated September. 26, 2016 08:25

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Minnesota Timberwolves star Kevin Garnett has announced his retirement on Saturday, after enjoying the biggest fandom in NBA history.

His retirement came as the third this year, following the footsteps of retired NBA superstars such as Kobe Bryant as a Los Angeles Laker and Tim Duncan as a player for the San Antonio Spurs.

Garnett became the first player to be drafted directly out of high school since 1975, and was drafted with the fifth overall pick in the 1995 NBA draft. His direct draft paved the way for future stars including Kobe Bryant and Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James.

In his 1,462 games during the 21 seasons, Garnett scored 26,071 points, recorded 14,662 rebounds, assisted 5,445 times, blocked 2,037 times, and stole 1,859 times. In traditional statistical category, he is 17th on the Career Points table, 9th in Career Rebounds.

What’s more, Garnett joined the ranks of the legendary NBA players Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (formerly LA Lakers) and “The Mailman” Karl Malone (formerly Utah Jazz), who both scored more than 25,000 points, recorded 10,000 rebounds, and assisted 5,000 times

Despite his tall physique of 211 centimeters, Garnett did not limit himself to a traditional center. Instead, he was a versatile player who roamed the court as a point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, center, and others. During the seasons, he stayed away from his favorite night snack lasagna to maintain an adequate weight at 108 kilograms, light enough to gain speed and throw jump-shoots.

After Garnett officially announced his retirement, Kobe paid his tribute to him with a tweet “I loved every minute I competed against you.”

The 2015-16 MVP and top scorer Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors also commented that “my respect goes to all his (Garnett's) plays.”



유재영기자 elegant@donga.com