In preseason, Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Garnett laughed off a question about whether or not he could become an NBA coach after retiring from the league. “Absolutely not,” he jawed. “Hell no!”
But that doesn’t mean he’ll leave basketball forever. Quite the contrary. Garnett wants to follow in Michael Jordan’s footsteps and become an NBA owner, according to Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports:
“I want to buy the Timberwolves. Put a group together and perhaps some day try to buy the team. That’s what I want,” Garnett said after a 107-99 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night.
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On May 12, Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor told the Associated Press he was looking to add a minority partner who would hold an option to buy him out. Taylor also made it clear he is committed to keeping the team in Minnesota.
The report added a comment from Nets general manager Billy King, who backs the idea that Garnett could become an owner. “He would be one of the best owners in the NBA because he understands what the players need and he understands what it takes to be successful in the NBA,” King told Yahoo! Sports.
Garnett and the Timberwolves have a long history. The team drafted him with the fifth overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft, and he played there for a dozen years until the team traded him to the Boston Celtics in the 2007 offseason. Garnett averaged 20.5 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game in 927 games with the Timberwolves, owning nearly every franchise record they’ve got.
He’s also possibly the best-equipped player in the league to make the jump from player to owner. Garnett has made more money in NBA salary than any player in NBA history, clocking in at nearly $330 million by the end of this season.
Garnett is in the last year of a three-year contract, and at 38 years old, there’s rumors that we might be watching his last season in the NBA. But he’s begun his 20th professional season strong, averaging an even eight points and eight rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game, and might not be done playing just yet.
Yahoo! Sports — Big dreams: Kevin Garnett interested in buying Timberwolves
