NBA players aren’t exactly known for being great at handling their money. There are exceptions, of course, who have built business empires and generational wealth both on and off the court, but for every success story like Michael Jordan or Steph Curry, there are dozens of players who have squandered their earnings by living beyond their means or trusting the wrong people.
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Kevin Garnett was one of the most legendarily intense players ever to lace up, a Hall-of-Famer, and an NBA champion. Garnett’s skill set on the court was an evolution of the post players who came before him, an inside-out blend of power and technical mastery that, in a lot of ways, provided the blueprint for today’s big men.
When it came to taking care of his money, though, let’s just say that KG was slightly less involved, at least early in his career. During a 2021 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Garnett described how, in his first two years in the league, he would cash his checks and then bring the money home and hide it under his mattress because he didn’t trust banks to keep it safe.
Garnett came to the NBA straight out of high school at 18 years old, and though he credits his South Carolina and Chicago upbringing with instilling in him a certain useful mindset, it didn’t teach him how to be financially savvy.
“I had a whole little system, and I would go home and put it under my mattress. For two years I did that,” he said.
KG realized that he needed a better way of doing things after breaking up with his girlfriend of the time and finding a bunch of IOUs under the mattress where most of his cash used to be.
Kevin Garnett had great success in the game of basketball but not in protecting his money
Garnett made a little over $3.5 million in his first two years in the league, which is wild to imagine that just stuffed under his mattress. Even though it sounds like he lost a good chunk, the fact that he would go on to have total career earnings over $334 million lessens the blow.
This wasn’t the only money-related issue KG would deal with, though. In 2018 he sued his accounting firm for allegedly defrauding him of $77 million. The suit was eventually dropped after Garnett and the firm settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.
Unsurprisingly, for someone that was so relentless during his playing days, KG is still thriving anyway. He played an amazing part in the 2019 movie Uncut Gems, and his KG Certified podcast, which he cohosts with ex-Celtics teammate Paul Pierce, is one of the most entertaining NBA shows out there.
