Ranking Kevin Garnett’s 5 Best NBA Seasons

Kevin Garnett played 21 NBA seasons for three teams: the Timberwolves (two stints), Nets and Celtics. His career spanned 1,462 regular-season games and 143 playoff games.

Garnett, whose teams had varying NBA championship odds over the years, was one of the best players in the game during his time, winning an NBA championship with the Celtics in 2008, the league’s MVP in 2004 and was a 15-time NBA All-Star. 

So, what were Garnett’s best years?

5. 2006-07 – Timberwolves 

Garnett’s final season in Minnesota was underrated. While he missed out on All-NBA First Team honors, he finished with 22.4 points, 12.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. The 12.8 rebounds led all NBA players.

While Garnett’s numbers were solid, it was a disappointing year for Minnesota (32-50) as it missed the playoffs.

4. 1999-2000 – Timberwolves 

For the first time in his career, Garnett was named to the All-NBA First Team. At 23 years old, he averaged 22.9 points, 11.8 rebounds and five assists per game. At the time, it was a career-high in points per game.

Garnett was also an NBA All-Defensive First Team member.

Minnesota finished the regular season 50-32 but was eliminated by the Trail Blazers in the first round of the playoffs. 

3. 2002-03 – Timberwolves

Garnett was a member of the All-NBA First Team as well as the All-Defensive First Team. He averaged 23 points, 13.4 rebounds and six assists per game. He also played all 82 games while averaging 40.5 minutes per game, the most of any season during his career.

Unfortunately, for the seventh straight year, the Timberwolves did not make it out of the first round of the playoffs. They fell to the Lakers in six games.

2. 2007-08 – Celtics

After making a blockbuster trade, the Celtics won the NBA title in Garnett’s first year in Boston, and he was a major reason why. 

At 31 years old, his numbers – 18.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game – were not the best of his career, but he was the leader the Celtics needed at the time. Boston went 66-16 in the regular season and beat the Lakers in six games to claim its first NBA championship since 1986. The Celtics entered the year with poor NBA Finals odds as they went 24-58 the year before.

Garnett’s outstanding defense earned him the Defensive Player of the Year.

This was Garnett’s only NBA championship.

1. 2003-04 – Timberwolves

This was Garnett’s MVP season at age 27. He averaged 24.2 points per game, the most of any season during his career, to go along with 13.9 rebounds and five assists. He was also a member of the NBA All-Defensive First-Team.

Garnett led Minnesota to a 58-24 record en route to finishing first in the Midwest Division. The Timberwolves eventually fell to the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. Garnett did his best to keep Minnesota alive, averaging 23.7 points, 13.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists over the six games.