Kevin Garnett was arguably one of the NBA’s best defenders during his career. While speaking to guest Zach Randolph on his podcast KG Certified, the Minnesota Timberwolves legend revealed one of his secrets. Garnett shared how he managed to get away with fouling while playing his tough brand of defense.
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The Timberwolves legend revealed that his veteran teammates told him to be more consistent in his defense. Garnett said,
“Then I started talking to some vets, and they said ‘Man listen, Whatever you do in the first quarter, you got to do in the second and third,’ and I was like ‘Huh?’ So if you ‘bow a n*gga in there, ‘bow him in the second, they might not call it. I was like ‘Why?’ ‘Cause they saw you do it in the first and they can’t call every foul’ and I was like ‘Holy shit’.
Garnett learned from his veteran players who said that referees cannot call every foul. So the big man took advantage of that and added it to his game. He learned how to mask his rougher plays by using them consistently throughout the game. Furthermore, it gave him better control of the defense and allowed Garnett to take the initiative to deter opposing stars from making plays in the paint.
The Timberwolves star also learned that he cannot utilize the same type of defense for every player. He had to pick and choose who to play a tougher game with. But getting away with borderline fouls allowed Garnett to flourish.
Garnett earned a reputation as a gritty defender
The gritty approach that Garnett utilized in his defense gained him notoriety for being a tough player to score against. He hounded opposing players with his relentless post-defense and hand-checking. The Timberwolves forward made concealing his fouls an art and utilized it to become an enforcer in the paint. Furthermore, he offered versatility by being able to defend opposing guards as well.
Garnett backed his intense defense with equally brutal trash talk. This combination wore down opponents and gained the Timberwolves star notoriety for being a hard-nosed defender. His secret to fouling opponents showed another aspect of how the star power forward utilized the referees to his advantage.
