Former Minnesota Timberwolves center Kevin Garnett (2nd from L) had many battles against Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant (24) during his decorated NBA tenure. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI |
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April 8 (UPI) -- New Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Kevin Garnett says he's "not entertaining" the idea of having his jersey retired by the Minnesota Timberwolves due to an ongoing rift with team owner Glen Taylor.
Garnett, who was among nine players selected Saturday for the Hall of Fame, spent 14 of his 21 seasons playing for the Timberwolves. Garnett went on to play six seasons for the Boston Celtics and two for the Brooklyn Nets. He ended his career with the Timberwolves following the 2015-16 season.
He also had talks with former Timberwolves President Flip Saunders about eventually becoming a minority owner in the franchise. Saunders suddenly died of lymphoma in 2015 and the team moved on to new leadership.
Garnett said the understanding that he would purchase part of the team was broken between himself and Taylor. He retired in 2016 after a contract buyout.
"Glen knows where I'm at. I'm not entertaining [having my jersey retired]. First of all, it's not genuine. Two, he's getting pressure from a lot of fans and, I guess, the community there," Garnett told The Athletic. "Glen and I had an understanding before Flip died, and when Flip died, that understanding went with Flip.
"For that, I won't forgive Glen. I won't forgive him for that. I thought he was a straight-up person, straight-up businessman, and when Flip died, everything went with him."
Garnett said he now doesn't want "any dealings" or associations with Taylor.
"I love my Timberwolves, I'll always love my guys," he said. "I'll always love the people who [supported] me there. I'll always have a special place for the city of Minneapolis and the state of Minnesota in my heart.
"But I don't do business with snakes. ... I try not to do business with openly snakes or people who are snake-like."
Garnett played his first 12 seasons for the Timberwolves before being traded to the Celtics in 2007. The 15-time NBA All-Star won a championship with the Celtics in 2008.
"This is an honor so well deserved," Taylor said in a statement last weekend after Garnett's induction. "We congratulate Kevin on being selected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. From the day we drafted him in 1995, we knew there was something special about him that Minnesota had never experienced before.
"I've watched Kevin grow on and off the court and will forever be grateful for his contributions to the Timberwolves organization. He was beloved by our fans in a way that only few players experience and will always have a place at Target Center. To be elected in his first year of eligibility validates the impact he had on basketball in Minnesota, the NBA, and around the globe. We are so happy for him to receive this recognition."
The No. 5 overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft out of Farragut Academy in Chicago averaged 17.8 points, 10 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game during his decorated NBA tenure. He was the first player drafted into the modern league straight from high school -- beginning a trend that followed with other prep stars like Kobe Bryant in 1997 and LeBron James in 2003. The NBA implemented a rule against drafting high school players in 2006.
