Over the years, the Boston Celtics have welcomed some of the most iconic players in NBA history. One such icon is none other than Kevin Garnett. The Big Ticket made his mark in Celtics history as he helped them to their first NBA Championship in 22 years. In fact, he is such an icon of the franchise, that he is still being paid by them. According to reports from NBC Sports, KG has been collecting $5,000,000 per year from the Cs since 2016. This, just 24 years after another Celtics icon, the legendary Larry Bird, refused a similar deal that would have netted him $10,000,000 following his retirement.
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Garnett joined the Celtics in 2007 after spending 12 years with the Minnesota Timberwolves. In that time, he established himself as a problem on both ends of the court. Not only was he an offensive monster but a defensive one as well, and that is why the Celtics decided to make the move for him. Fast forward 16 years, and it is one of the best decisions the organization ever made. So much so, that they’re still paying him.
Kevin Garnett is reportedly earning $5,000,000 a year from the Boston Celtics unlike Larry Bird who rejected a similar offer
It has been seven years since Kevin Garnett announced his retirement from the NBA. Nevertheless, he has still been collecting checks from the Boston Celtics. According to NBCS Sports, KG is netting $5,000,000 a year in deferred payments from his previous contract with the Cs. This has reportedly been in effect since 2016 and is scheduled to be completed by 2024.
24 years earlier, another Celtics icon found himself in a similar situation. Larry Bird, who retired in 1992 still had two years left on his contract with Boston. As such, the then-CEO of the franchise, Dave Gavitt wanted to honor one of their greatest players by paying him the remainder of the deal.
He informed Bird, that if he waited a little longer to announce his retirement, he could earn $5,000,000 a year over the next two years. A great deal that could have seen him rake in $10,000,000. However, unlike KG, Larry Legend refused to agree to such a deal. Why? Well, it’s simply because he didn’t want to earn that kind of money when he wasn’t giving it his all on the court.
Kevin Garnett retired from the NBA in 2016, but set up his deal with the Celtics so that he’d get paid $5 million every year until 2024.
Smart. 💰 pic.twitter.com/yjRVFuAhEl
— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) October 10, 2023
It would seem that while they are both Celtics greats, Bird and Garnett are two completely different people. If anything, the Big Ticket is eerily similar to a Los Angeles Lakers great. One, who had many a legendary battle with ‘the Hick from French Lick’.
Like Kevin Garnett, Magic Johnson was paid millions by the Lakers years after his retirement
Larry Bird may not have accepted the Celtics’ generous offer, but his rival turned friend Magic Johnson did the exact opposite with the LA Lakers. Similar to how Kevin Garnett has been paid for the last seven years, former Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss offered Magic a 25-year deal worth $25,000,000.
It was a lucrative deal that easily roped in the Laker great. He would then go on to earn $1,000,000 per year from 1984-2009. This means he continued to cash in a Lakers paycheck at least two decades after his retirement.
“Magic is a bright kid and I plan to make him my protege, teach him the business aspect of sports. I realize this is a very unusual contract because we’re talking about a kid whose college class just graduated. But what it comes down to is that Magic is part of the family.”
It truly is interesting to see the kind of contracts NBA teams have dished out over the years. From Magic Johnson’s incredible contract to some of the more big money deals that NBA superstars get today. It certainly is amazing.
