Michael Jordan Taught Timberwolves Rookie Kevin Garnett an ‘Unforgettable’ 35-Point Lesson

Michael Jordan has still maintained a stronghold in the GOAT debate against the likes of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, mostly because of the reverence he generates among his peers. The posterity may not have seen MJ play live on the hardwood, but they have heard the riveting stories told by his contemporaries about His Airness’ exploits on the court. These tales of Jordan’s greatness have almost created a mythical aura around him. Boston Celtics legend Kevin Garnett recently recounted one such story from his rookie year that seemed to be custom-made for the MJ archives.

Jordan was obsessed with one-upping his peers during games. The Chicago Bulls legend was known to concoct fake scenarios in his head to get that extra edge against his competition. However, if someone was audacious enough to trash-talk MJ, the outcome of the game was pretty much set in stone right there. Jordan would unleash such relentless waves of hellfire on the trash-talker that the latter would be eagerly waiting for the game to end at the end of it all.

Kevin Garnett regretted trash-talking Michael Jordan in his rookie year

During a recent edition of the All the Smoke podcast, Kevin Garnett told Matt Barnes and the rest of the crew one of his favorite MJ stories. The incident happened when Garnett was still in his rookie year, playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Drafted in the prime of Jordan’s career in 1995, an ambitious young star like KG couldn’t resist the temptation of challenging the best player in the world in his own house in Chicago.

In Garnett’s own words, “JR[Isaiah Rider] is having a good game…So as we come out the time out[I say to him], ‘Yo, keep killing that…keep going.’ So as I was walking off, right here, Mike[Jordan] can hear me. So I double back, like, ‘Yeah, you killing that motherf**ker.’ So as I say that I feel it. Legs locked, hands on hips, stared at me for about 15 seconds.”

“I can’t even like really describe the next six to seven minutes of play. It got bad quick, yo…I was like, ‘JR[panting], my bad yo, my bad. I’m sorry,'” KG added, prompting the room to erupt in laughter.

 

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Jordan had 35 points in that February 1996 game against the Timberwolves, scoring 11-for-24 from the field and 2-for-3 from deep. Garnett and Rider both finished with 20 points in a 99-120 blowout loss.

Garnett didn’t learn his lesson the first time

A born competitor, Kevin Garnett contested Michael Jordan again. The result was pretty much the same this time as well.

The time I picked Michael Jordan and thought I was in his head… it ain't go as well as imagined 😂 pic.twitter.com/Ap0WD1GNan

— Kevin Garnett (@KevinGarnett5KG) April 29, 2023

Jordan was under the basket in no time, leaving the 15-time NBA champion completely bewildered. Garnett recounted the story in Showtime Basketball’s KG certified. Even though the 2008 NBA Champion was embarrassed on the court by Jordan many times, these contests taught him a lot of important lessons about basketball.