“My grandma went and brought out her shotgun”: NBA legend Kevin Garnett narrates how his family prevented recruiters from breaking rules and giving him money in high school

Kevin Garnett did not come into the world looking for unsolicited favors, nor would his family allow him to take any of them.

The Timberwolves legend had a long and illustrious career as a pro basketball player. Through 21 years in the league, Garnett was respected as one of the most intense players ever to step on the hardwood. His legacy as a defender and as a game-changing big man is immortal.

Garnett’s most obviously endearing trait was his propensity to keep things real on the court. Whether it be trash talk, his unflapping morale in adversity or keeping teammates in check, the Big Ticket wouldn’t bauble. He’d always put his point across, and do it in unmistakable fashion.

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It seems from this story that Garnett inherited this trait from his family. Specifically, it looks like his grandmother gave him this uncompromising, unbowing demeanor that the whole world has seen in the past 3 decades.

Kevin Garnett talks about his grandma pointing a shotgun at a recruiter

Garnett was heavily recruited by college head coaches and their agent friends with financial sweeteners and incentives. It was the nature of the business back then, and perhaps even more so today.

The NCAA relies on its one-and-done policy to attract high school talent today, but Garnett blazed a different trail when he took the decision to go pro. So he had to ward off many of these recruiters, who’re employing tactics that have always been illegal:

“I got offered a lot of cash … for my mother and my family to have better opportunities. To meet some of the most powerful people in the world, whatever that meant.”

“I was staying with my grandmother at the time, because recruiting was getting to the point where it was just obese. My mother thought it would be a better idea for me to change addresses.”

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“Life was running so fast at this time, but I had a certain recruiter come see me. And he offered me some cash in front of my grandma. And she went and got her shotgun.”

“She told me ‘always set the tone with people that you can never be bought. If you can be bought once, you can be bought always.’ That stuck with me forever.”