Despite going through multiple years of struggle with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kevin Garnett never wanted to recruit superstars to join him. "The Big Ticket" once revealed that he'd rather face the turmoil alone than put himself out there and ask other guys for help.
"I'm not a person to fly somebody in here and take 'em to a baseball game, knowing that I haven't made a Twins game -- in the six years I've been here, I've probably made two Twins games," Garnett once said as reported by ESPN. "You know, take you to the park, push you in a swing. That's not me."
KG wanted to carry the Wolves on his shoulders
It didn't take long for Garnett to shine on the court after he was drafted by the Timberwolves as a high-schooler in 1995. What took quite some time was for the big man to experience team success, as the Wolves were sent home in the first round of the playoffs for six straight years. It didn't help that veterans like Stephon Marbury, Tom Gugliott, Malik Sealy, Bobby Jackson, and Joe Smith left the organization as time passed.
But despite the struggles, Garnett didn't want to take the easy route of asking for a trade or even recruiting fellow superstars to join him. The Hall of Famer knew he had to experience the feeling of getting beat before tasting true success.
"I've always told my cousins and my little siblings under me, 'To understand the good stuff, you have to go through bad stuff. That's the only way you learn,' I'm just not that type of person, that's gonna bit*h and moan about every little thing. That's not me. I'm not gonna cry about a situation; I'm gonna try to find a way to make it better. I'm gonna stand up like a man and face it. I'm not gonna run from it. I'mma be with the Titanic until they get all the way to the bottom. 'Cause I can swim. That's how I look at it," Garnett added.
Related: Jackie MacMullan on why Doc Rivers never ran a play for Kevin Garnett at the start of games: "He would've shattered the backboard"
KG tasted success but not in Minnesota
Garnett's tough career path, especially at beginning, was one of the reasons why his title with the Boston Celtics meant so much to him.
It took the legendary forward 12 long years to call himself an NBA champion. That said, Garnett's success would not have been possible without the struggles and experiences he endured in Minnesota.
"I would hear a bunch of whining, 'It's snowing and it's cold, and why are we practicing?' Man, you know what this was when you signed up," Garnett told The Athletic. "If you don't want to be here, get the f*ck up out of here, man. Guys know this. Guys know what you sign up for. I never asked for a trade because I never wanted to be traded."
In the NBA, where big-market teams often have a clear advantage over smaller ones, it's rare to witness a superstar like Garnett defend and stay loyal to an organization like the Wolves. That's why he'll always be a Timberwolves icon, despite accomplishing his ultimate goal wearing a Celtics jersey.
Related: KG compares LeBron James to the GSW to the Celtics adding Shaq in 2010-11: "If he didn't get hurt, we win because he did enough for us"