Try to Guess These Big-Time Ballers Before They Were NBA Stars
Take a look at what some of the best NBA stars of the court were like before they became big-time ballers... By Brett SingerSchool Years: Although the South Carolina native didn’t play organized basketball until high school, Garnett transferred to Chicago’s Farragut Career Academy as a 6’11” senior and was named USA Today’s national high school player of the year and Illinois’ Mr. Basketball.
Snakkle Snippet: After watching Garnett in a Farragut game in 1995, then-sportscaster and former Indiana Pacers coach Dick Versace told the Chicago Tribune, “The last time I’ve seen a center like that was Bill Walton. I do think he should play a year or two in college first, but he is a definite NBA prospect.”
Big Break: Garnett ignored Versace’s advice and skipped college to play for the Minnesota Timberwolves, becoming the first player drafted out of high school in 20 years.
Now: Since the Celtics nabbed him in 2007 in a seven-for-one deal—Minnesota got five players plus two of Boston’s first-round draft picks, the most players swapped for a single player in league history—Garnett has helped Boston win a national championship (2008) and a conference championship (2010) after a more-than-20-year drought.
- See Kevin Garnett finally get his ring
- See Kevin Garnett in high school