NBA

Boston Celtics icon Kevin Garnett names the best NBA player of all time, and it's not Michael Jordan

In the perennial debate over the greatest player in NBA history, Kevin Garnett has made his stance clear. The Boston Celtics legend has named his pick for the GOAT, and it’s not Michael Jordan.

Kevin Garnett #5 of the Boston Celtics during their game at Time Warner Cable Arena on February 11, 2013 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
© Streeter Lecka/Getty ImagesKevin Garnett #5 of the Boston Celtics during their game at Time Warner Cable Arena on February 11, 2013 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

In recent years, debates surrounding the greatest player in NBA history have become increasingly common. While Michael Jordan has long dominated such conversations, some of the league’s legends have begun spotlighting other names. Among them is Boston Celtics icon Kevin Garnett.

During a 2023 interview with Stephen A. Smith, Garnett expressed his profound admiration for LeBron James. “He’s my GOAT of all of this—the business, everything,” he stated. “We’ve never seen a 6’9″, 265-pound player run the joint.”

Kevin praised not only James’ on-court achievements but also his off-court legacy and ability to navigate success. “He’s the vision of what every Black man should aspire for,” he explained. “Being a billionaire, having your own labels—he set the tone.”

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LeBron’s historic milestone solidifies Garnett’s stance

A year later, after LeBron surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, Garnett doubled down on his opinion. Speaking with Paul Pierce on Ticket & The Truth, Garnett described the moment as transformative. “King of kings,” he said. This is the changing of the guard of everything we’ve known the game to be. This is the transition of Bron being King of the Hill.”

Kevin Garnett #2 of the Brooklyn Nets and LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers yell at official Sean Wright #65 on December 19, 2014 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Kevin Garnett #2 of the Brooklyn Nets and LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers yell at official Sean Wright #65 on December 19, 2014 in Cleveland, Ohio.

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Garnett marveled at the longevity and mental fortitude it takes to accomplish such a feat. 40,000 in the (expletive) NBA... You gotta be healthy. People don’t understand what 35, 36, 37 feels like. The body feels so different. For him to be mentally stimulated, for him to be mentally driven night in night out. This is what makes him go on top of the list to me.”

The Celtics icon also compared LeBron’s achievements to those of other NBA legends. “The greatest couldn’t even do this. Wilt (Chamberlain) couldn’t do this. Jordan couldn’t do this,” he stated. “We’re talking about shot-making, ability, skill. He’s in all those conversations… The greatest scorer ever. Technically and literally. Facts.”

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Garnett’s changing perspective on LeBron

Kevin Garnett enjoyed a stellar 21-year career in the NBA. He debuted with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1995 and fittingly ended his journey with the franchise in 2016, after a successful stint with the Boston Celtics and a brief tenure with the Brooklyn Nets.

An NBA MVP in 2004 and a league champion in 2008 with the Celtics, Garnett competed against LeBron James for more than a decade. For a time, his rivalry with the Akron, Ohio native clouded his appreciation for James’ greatness. However, that perspective shifted after Garnett’s retirement, and he eventually came to regard James as the greatest of all time.

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“I get it. I played against him, bro. I’ve let it go. It ain’t personal with me anymore,” Garnett admitted during the 2023 interview with Stephen A. Smith. “I’m watching as a fan, giving him his flowers. I’m looking at it from a different perspective of things that I’ve never seen in the game.”

Michael Jordan snubs LeBron James and Kobe Bryant in choosing his ideal NBA starting five

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The GOAT before LeBron: Garnett’s earlier opinion

Prior to declaring LeBron his GOAT, Kevin Garnett held a different opinion on who he considered the greatest basketball player of all time. During an appearance on Area 21 in 2018, the Celtics legend had a definitive answer. Michael Jordan… first of all, out of professional sports, he was here while everybody else was here,” Garnett said, gesturing a wide distance with his hands to illustrate the gap between Jordan and the rest of the field.

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Recalling MJ’s dominance, Kevin added, Michael Jordan was revered as a machine. He was selfish. He didn’t trust anybody else. He still won. You saw how hard he wanted it, you saw how hard he was going. And this was Magic (Johnson) and (Larry) Bird stealing the league.”

Garnett also emphasized the transformative impact Jordan had on the NBA and its culture. “When basketball was on the verge of losing it—we had addicts, and we had guys coming into camp overweight. Who do you think started coming into camp in shape, ready to go day one? Who started that?” he asked emphatically, leaving no doubt about the influence Jordan had on shaping the professional standards of the league.

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