Before Kevin Garnett won a championship with the Celtics in 2008, he was the heartbeat of the Timberwolves franchise for 12 seasons. Despite being raised in South Carolina, Garnett embodied what it meant to be from Minnesota. His inspiration to win over his team’s fan base didn’t come from emulating Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson. It came from an aspiration to be like Minnesota Twins star Kirby Puckett.
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Minnesota-native and award-winning producer Jimmy Jam shared a story from a chance encounter with the Timberwolves star. Ahead of Garnett’s rookie season, Jam bumped into him at a local Minnesota grocery store. The two struck up a conversation that lasted hours. However, at the core of their discussion, Garnett sought to be beloved by the city in the same fashion as Puckett. Jimmy revealed the details of the story in a sit-down conversation with ESPN’s Jay Harris and Marc Spears. He said,
“We just kind of stood in the parking lot and we had this conversation. What impressed me about him was that he asked me, ‘How do I need to be?’ And I said, ‘What do you mean?’ He said, ‘I want to be like Kirby Puckett, I want everybody to love me. I want everybody to embrace me. You’re from here, what do I need to do?’ I said, ‘Well, all you need to do is play basketball.'”
The question caught Jimmy off guard but provided him with the assurance that Garnett would thrive in Minnesota. KG’s aspirations were lofty for a player fresh out of high school at the time. Moreover, Puckett wasn’t just a great baseball player, he became a Minnesota legend.
Pucket spent his entire 12-year career with the Twins and elevated into a star in only his second season. The 10-time All-Star produced on the field with countless individual statistics, but his true impact came in the form of team success.
The Hall-of-Fame centerfielder helped turn Minnesota into a state of champions. He delivered two World Series in 1987 and 1991. These are the only championships Minnesota sports fans have experienced in the history of the team’s four major sports leagues, (NBA, MLB, NHL, and NFL).
Jimmy highlighted Garnett’s best quality
Becoming a legendary player in any sport doesn’t happen by chance. There are a lot of key traits an athlete must possess to be considered one of the greatest. Jam admits Garnett had the essential qualities.
He revealed that KG’s greatest quality consisted of his leadership skills. Garnett understood what it took to lead by example and did so on a nightly basis.
“He definitely was a trash talker, but he was the one who made sure that guys weren’t leaving their towels lying around,” Jimmy said. “Like, don’t leave your towels for the towel guy to get. Police your area. He had all of those qualities that are sort of the intangibles when you talk about a leader as opposed to just a talented player.”
KG’s leadership abilities began with his eagerness to be a student of the game. Jimmy admits that Garnett asked him the right questions. As a result, Garnett’s dreams became a reality as the fan base welcomed him as one of their own.
His first tenure didn’t end the way both parties would’ve liked. However, Garnett concluded his career in the same place it started, retiring with the Timberwolves in 2016.
