James Yap shoots a free throw.

In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted area on the court (the free throw line; informally known as the foul line), and are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team. Each successful free throw is worth one point.

Description[link]

Kobe Bryant shooting a free throw.

Free throws can normally be made at a high percentage by good players. In the NBA, most players make between 70–80% of their attempts. The league’s best shooters (such as Steve Nash, Peja Stojaković, Ray Allen, Chauncey Billups, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, and Dirk Nowitzki) can make make roughly 90% of their attempts over a season, while notoriously poor shooters (e.g. Dwight Howard, Blake Griffin, Ben Wallace, Tim Duncan, Rajon Rondo, Andre Iguodala, Glen Davis (basketball) or Marcin Gortat) may struggle to make 50% of them. During a foul shot, a player's foot must be completely behind the foul line. If a player lines up with part of their foot on the line, a violation is called and the shot doesn't count. Foul shots are worth 1 point.

Tall players often shoot free throws poorly; though theoretically, taller players should be better at making them.^[1] One possible explanation for this is that the high release point of their shots can cause them to stand overly erect.^[2] Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain made just 51.1% of his free-throw attempts, one of the lowest percentages of all time,^[3] and the poor free throw shooting of players such as O'Neal and Wallace, have led to the 'Hack-a-Shaq' and other intentional fouling tactics. On the other hand, there have also been big men who have been prolific scorers from free throws, who not surprisingly also have good outside shooting range (an example is Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki who, at 2.13 m (7.0 ft), has a career average of 88% (.877).)

When free throws are awarded[link]

Players waiting on the side during a free throw at a Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Centenary Gentlemen college basketball game.

There are many situations when free throws can be awarded:

The first and most common is when a player is fouled while in the act of shooting. If the foul causes the player to miss the shot, the player receives two or three free throws depending on whether the shot was taken in front of or behind the three-point line. If, despite the foul, the player still makes the attempted shot, the number of free throws is reduced to one, and the basket counts. This is known as a three-point or four-point play, depending on the value of the made basket. Commentators sometimes refer to a successful three-point play as "an old-fashioned three-point play", "a three pointer the hard way" because before the advent of the three-point shot, this was the only way to earn three points on one play, or "And-1", because they made the shot and will get one free throw.

The second is when the fouling team is in the team bonus (or foul penalty) situation. This happens when, in a single period, a team commits a set number of fouls whether or not in the act of shooting. In the NBA, the limit is four fouls per quarter; starting with the fifth foul, or the second in the final 2 minutes if the team has less than 5 fouls, the opposing team gets two free throws. In NCAA basketball, beginning with the seventh foul of the half, one free throw is awarded; if the player makes the free throw, another is given. This is called shooting a "one-and-one". Starting with the tenth foul of the half, two free throws are awarded. Free throws are not awarded for offensive fouls (most often charging fouls), even if the team fouled is in the bonus. The number of fouls that triggers a penalty is higher in college basketball because the game is divided into two 20-minute halves, as opposed to quarters of 10 minutes in FIBA play or 12 minutes in the NBA. As in professional play, a foul in the act of shooting is a two- or three-shot foul, depending on the value of the shot attempt, with one free throw being awarded if the shot is good.

If a player is injured upon being fouled and cannot shoot free throws, the offensive team may designate any player from the bench to shoot in the place of the injured player in college; in the NBA, the opposing team designates the player to shoot, and the injured player can't return, unless the foul committed was a flagrant-2, in which case the player's own team also gets to pick the replacement shooter. If a player fouled takes exception to the foul, and starts or participates in a fight, and gets ejected, he or she is not allowed to take his or her free throws, and the opposing team will choose a replacement shooter. In all other circumstances, the fouled player must shoot his or her own foul shots.

Vasilis Spanoulis taking a free throw

If a player, coach, or team staff (e.g. doctor, statistician) shows poor sportsmanship, which may include arguing with a referee, that person may get charged with a more serious foul called a technical foul. In the NBA, a technical foul results in one free throw attempt for the other team. In FIBA play, as well as NCAA basketball, technical fouls result in two free throws in all situations. At both levels, the opposing team may choose any player who is currently on the court to shoot the free throws, and is then awarded possession of the ball after the free throws. Since there is no opportunity for a rebound, these free throws are shot with no players on the lane.

Finally, if a referee deems a foul extremely aggressive, or that it did not show an attempt to play the ball, the referee can call a even more severe foul, known as an unsportsmanlike foul in international play, a flagrant foul in the NBA, or an intentional foul in NCAA basketball. This foul is charged against the player (and depending on the severity of the offense, can even be ejected), and the opponent gets two free throws and possession of the ball afterwards. Unlike technical fouls, the player fouled must shoot the awarded free throws.

Fouls "away from the ball" (fouls that do not occur on the shooter or near the ball) are handled like the second case above in most situations. Many times defenders hold their opponent to prevent them from catching an in-bound pass or fight through screens and thus are called for fouls. These fouls are almost always treated as normal personal fouls. In the NBA, when there are only two minutes left on the clock of either half, off-ball fouls when the fouling team is over the limit are rewarded with one free throw and possession of the ball. It is therefore common for a losing team to deliberately single out its opponent's poor free-throwers, regardless of their dominance in other aspects of the game (as in the cases of Ben Wallace and of Shaquille O'Neal), as the targets of deliberate fouls until the two-minute mark, after which the losing team plays intense defense for the rest of the game (see Hack-a-Shaq). It is believed that this rule was instituted because of Wilt Chamberlain^{[citation needed]}. Previously teams had been allowed to foul any player on the court regardless of whether that player had possession of the ball, with only two free throws awarded to the fouled player. This motivated teams to chase poor free-throw shooters, such as Chamberlain, around the court in attempt to foul him in an effort to extend the game. To discourage this practice, the NBA changed the rule to award one free throw and possession of the ball to a player who is fouled away from the ball in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter. This rule does not apply in international or NCAA play and in fact plays a very vital strategic role in the NCAA Tournament.

The final way a free throw can be awarded is at the end of overtime. If a game is tied after the overtime period, each team will alternate three to five free throws in a penalty shootout. If one team is not ahead after at least three free throws, the shootout continues in sudden death fashion until one team is ahead of the other team. This rule has yet to be implemented.

Procedure[link]

Fatimatou Sacko for her first free throw.

Free throws are organized in procession. The shooter takes his place behind the free throw line (5.8 m (19 ft) from the base line, 4.6 m (15 ft) from the basket). All other players must stand in their correct places until the ball leaves the shooter's hands:

Up to four people from the defensive team and two people from the shooting team line up along the sides of the restricted area (keyhole, paint, lane). These players are usually the ones that rebound the ball. Three line up on each side. A defensive player always takes the place closest to the basket.

The remaining players must remain behind the three point line and the free throw line extended (an imaginary line extended from the free throw line in both directions to the sidelines).

Leaving their designated places before the ball leaves the shooter's hands, interfering with the ball, are all violations. In addition, the shooter must release the ball within five seconds (ten seconds in the United States) and must not step on or over the free throw line until the ball touches the ring. Players are, however, permitted to jump while attempting the free throw, provided they do not leave the designated area at any point. [1] A violation by the shooter cancels the free throw; a violation by the defensive team results in a substitute free throw if the shooter missed; a violation by the offensive team or a shot that completely misses the ring results in the loss of possession to the defensive team (only if it is on the last free throw).

Under FIBA rules, if the shooter does not commit a violation, and the ball goes in the basket, the attempt is successful, regardless of violations committed by any non-shooter.

Free throws awarded (NBA)[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

¹ Penalty applies to fouls in excess of four in a regulation period or in excess of three in an overtime period. If a team has not committed its foul quota by the two minute mark of a period, it shall be allowed one foul before the penalty applies. Offensive fouls do not count toward this total.
² Defensive fouls committed during a throw-in prior to the ball being released result in two free throws regardless of the penalty situation.
³ In the NBA, a team must have five players on the court at all times. If a team is down to five players because of injuries and players with six fouls, and a player commits his sixth foul, he remains in the game and a technical foul is charged. The technical foul penalty of one free throw and the ball applies.

Historical[link]

Prior to the 1954-55 season, the NBA established the rule that a backcourt foul would result in a "three to make two" situation (up to three attempts to make two free throws) if the violating team was over the team foul limit.^[4] By 1979, the rule had been extended to the penalty situation for flagrant fouls, fouls made in the act of shooting (resulting in a miss), and fouls due to the swinging of the elbows.^[5] Prior to the 1981-82 season, this rule, as well as the related "two to make one" rule were abolished.^[4]

In 1956, in response to reports that Wilt Chamberlain was able to dunk free throws, the NCAA established a rule requiring that free throw shooters keep both feet behind the free throw line during an attempt.^[6] The NBA later adopted this rule.^[7]

Strategy[link]

A lot of basketball strategy revolves around free throws and when to foul players. As mentioned earlier, some players are notoriously bad free throw shooters, even star players - historical examples include Wilt Chamberlain and Shaquille O'Neal. This allows a strategy where a team intentionally fouls this player, hoping that they will miss one or both shots and the defending team will re-gain possession of the ball. This strategy was dubbed Hack-a-Shaq when famously used on Shaquille O'Neal. Dwight Howard has been subjected to this strategy as well^[8], as have other players.

It can be advantageous for a trailing team to intentionally foul late in a close game. While this allows the leading team to shoot free throws and increase their lead, it also stops the clock, similar to a time out in football (in basketball, a time out may only be called by a team with possession of the ball). As well, it allows the trailing team the chance to take possession if the second free throw is missed, and if it is made awards possession outright to the trailing team. Therefore, many teams substitute players with high free throw percentages when they are leading late in games to combat this strategy. It is seen as a last resort strategy with little chance of success, but if it is not employed the leading team may run out the clock and end the game.

As well, a team that leads by three late in a game may foul intentionally. If the opposing team has possession with the game clock below 10 seconds, which is not enough time for multiple possessions, and is down three points, the obvious strategy for them is to attempt a three pointer to try to send the game into overtime. The leading team may attempt to foul the trailing team before a shot is attempted. As this leads to only two free throws, which is not enough to tie the game, the trailing team must attempt to intentionally miss the second free throw, secure the offensive rebound (which is harder than normal with free throws, as the defending team is automatically given position), and score before the game clock expires. Theoretically, adopting this strategy makes a leading team four times more likely to win the game than allowing the trailing team to attempt a three pointer^[9] .

See also[link]

• 50–40–90 Club, exclusive group of players with one criterion including shooting at least 90 percent of free throws
• List of National Basketball Association career free throw scoring leaders

References[link]

Notes

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Free throw

• Official Basketball Rules, FIBA, 2008
• NBA Rule Number 9: Free Throw
• NBA Rule Number 12: Fouls and Penalties

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Chuck Hayes

Hayes with the Rockets.
No. 42 – Sacramento Kings
Center / Power forward
Personal information
Born	(1983-06-11) June 11, 1983 (age 29) San Leandro, California
Nationality	American
High school	Modesto Christian School Modesto, California
Listed height	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight	250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
College	Kentucky
NBA Draft	2005 / Undrafted
Pro career	2005–present
Career history
Albuquerque Thunderbirds (2005–2006) Houston Rockets (2006–2011) Sacramento Kings (2011–present)

Charles "Chuck" Edward Hayes, Jr. (born June 11, 1983 in San Leandro, California) is an American professional basketball player. He is 6'6", 250 pound center/power forward who currently plays for the Sacramento Kings of the NBA. He played his college basketball at Kentucky from 2001 to 2005.

High school[link]

As a junior attending Modesto Christian High School in California, Hayes was named all-league and all-state. That year he grabbed 31 rebounds in the 2000 Northern California championship game - a California High School record for all divisions. As a senior, Hayes was named "Mr. Basketball" in California and a Parade All-American while leading his team to the state championship game.

Hayes was also named an all-state football player as a sophomore.

College career[link]

Hayes arrived at the University of Kentucky in 2001 after choosing UK over Kansas in a close recruiting battle. Hayes was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team in 2002. During the next three years, he contributed to a resurgence in Kentucky basketball along with Keith Bogans, Gerald Fitch, Erik Daniels and Kelenna Azubuike. Over Hayes' sophomore, junior and senior seasons, Kentucky accumulated a record of 87–15 (.853), and earned final AP rankings of 1st, 2nd and 7th respectively. During Hayes' senior season, the Kentucky athletics department promoted him as an All-American candidate, using the slogan "All He Does Is Win". Although Hayes was named the 2004 SEC defensive player of the year, he did not earn All-America honors.

Hayes finished his career at Kentucky ranking 7th all time in rebounds, 8th in steals, 9th in blocked shots and 35th in points. He also tied Alex Groza for the Kentucky record for most consecutive starts with 110.

USA Basketball[link]

Chuck Hayes was a member of the 2003 USA men's Pan American Games team. He started all five games and led the team with 7.6 rebounds per game. The team finished in fourth place with a 2–3 record playing against internationally experienced teams from North and South America.

Professional career[link]

NBA Development League[link]

Despite earning MVP honors at the Portsmouth pre-draft camp, Hayes was not selected in the 2005 NBA Draft but was signed by the Houston Rockets prior to the 2005–06 season. Hayes played in several preseason games before being cut. Hayes was then selected sixth in the 2005 NBA Development League Draft by the Albuquerque Thunderbirds.^[1] Hayes led the NBA D-League in rebounding with 12.2 a game in his tenure with the Thunderbirds.

NBA[link]

Due to a rash of injuries on the Houston roster, Hayes was signed to a 10-day contract on January 18, 2006. In his second game in a Rockets uniform, Hayes posted a double-double, collecting 12 points and 13 rebounds in a 109–108 double-overtime win over the Chicago Bulls on January 20.^[2] On January 28, the Rockets announced they were signing Hayes for the rest of the season.^[3] Hayes earned a total of $231,390 for the season between the 10-day contract and the contract for the remainder of the year. He was later joined by former Kentucky teammate Keith Bogans, who was traded by the Charlotte Bobcats for Lonny Baxter on February 9.^[4] The departure of Baxter created room in the depth chart for Hayes. Hayes was also temporarily joined by another Kentucky teammate, Gerald Fitch, who was traded to the Rockets on February 23 but was assigned to the D-League on March 7, 2006.

Hayes was quietly productive for the Rockets in his first season. He appeared in all 40 games after joining the team and averaged 13.4 minutes per game. Hayes was one of the most efficient defensive players in the league, ranking 3rd among rookies in rebounds per 48 minutes (16.1) and 14th in steals per 48 minutes (2.33). He also had an FG% of 52.6%, good for 11th highest in the league among players with at least 100 field goals attempted. On June 13, 2006 the Rockets decided to pick up the option year on his contract (which was worth $664,209), extending his stay with the Rockets through the 2006–07 season.^[5] His first official NBA start occurred November 4, 2006 against the Dallas Mavericks. Fouling out after 17 minutes, he scored 2 points, had 3 rebounds, 2 steals.^[6]

As a starter in most of the Rockets' games for the 2006–07 season, Hayes was a significant contributor. The scope of his role on the team was limited to rebounding, defense, and acting as a decoy or setting screens on offense. The ball was very rarely in his hands on offense. Nevertheless, he has received praise from his coaches^[7] and has appeared on the leaderboard for several statistics in the NBA. He finished his second season in the NBA 12th in rebounds per minute and 34th in rebounds per game.

Several factors hindered Hayes' performance during the season. He hyperextended his left knee and was sidelined for two weeks. His stamina and durability over an 82 game season has been an issue as well; Hayes' style of play is more physically demanding than most. Finally, Hayes has become somewhat notorious for getting in foul trouble. He ended his second season with the 3rd most fouls per game and 7th most fouls per minute in the NBA.

Although not one of the league's premier players, in 2006 Hayes signed a shoe endorsement deal with Chinese athletic apparel company Li Ning. The deal was valued at $5 million.^[8] On July 31, 2007 Hayes signed an incentive-laden contract with the Houston Rockets valued at $8 million over 4 years.^[9][10] In 2009, Hayes was named co-captain along with Shane Battier for the 2009–10 Houston Rockets.

From 2003 to 2009, Hayes had the second highest defensive adjusted plus-minus of all NBA players.^[11] Through December 25, 2009, Hayes had the fifth highest overall adjusted plus-minus for the 2009–10 NBA season.

During the 2009–10 season, Hayes had to log his minutes as the starting center, replacing the injured Yao Ming, who missed the entire season, after suffering a hairline fracture in his left foot.^[12]

On March 23, 2011, Hayes had his first career triple-double, dropping 13 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists in a 131–112 home victory over the Golden State Warriors.^[13]

On December 9, 2011, Hayes signed a four-year, $21.3 million contract with the Sacramento Kings. However, the Kings voided the contract on December 19 after his physical exam showed a heart abnormality in an echo test, and the team conducted additional testing.^[14] Hayes then went to the Cleveland Clinic for extensive tests on his heart, and issued a statement on December 22 that cardiologists at the hospital had cleared him to play.^[15] On December 22, 2011, Hayes and the Sacramento Kings agreed to a 4 year, $22.4 million deal.^[16]

Player profile[link]

Hayes is listed as a forward in the NBA, but played center during the Rockets' playoff run in 2009 after injuries to starter Yao Ming and his backup Dikembe Mutombo. Although his skills and style are most suited for interior play, he nearly always has to overcome a significant height disadvantage as he stands only 6'6".

Hayes delays the release on his jumpshots and free-throw attempts, which is referred to as having a "hitch". An example was seen in a game against the Utah Jazz in the 2007 NBA Playoffs, where his unorthodox release drew lane violations from three players on a free-throw attempt.^[17]

Hayes has attributed his "nose for the ball" in part to his father's influence.^[18]

Personal[link]

On April 21, 2007, Hayes became a father. His girlfriend, Nicole Anderson, gave birth to a baby boy, Dorian Titus Hayes. This day later marked Hayes' first career playoff start and first playoff victory as well.^[19]

Hayes has professed an interest for singing, acting and poker.^[20]

NBA career statistics[link]

Regular season[link]

Playoffs[link]

Notes[link]

1. ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2309971
2. ^ Houston Rockets vs. Chicago Bulls - Box Score - January 20, 2006 - ESPN
3. ^ Rockets sign forward Hayes for rest of season - NBA - ESPN
4. ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2324675
5. ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nba&id=2482669
6. ^ Dallas Mavericks vs. Houston Rockets - Box Score - November 04, 2006 - ESPN
7. ^ http://www.kentucky.com/mld/heraldleader/sports/fans/16258830.htm
8. ^ http://www.slate.com/id/2171099/
9. ^ http://www.myfoxhouston.com/myfox/pages/Sports/Detail?contentId=3935656&version=4&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=6.1.1
10. ^ http://blogs.chron.com/nba/2007/08/sunshine_state_of_mind_for_me.html
11. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M71VrEBuFA
12. ^ http://basketballvalue.com/topplayers.php?year=2009-2010&mode=summary&sortnumber=94&sortorder=DESC
13. ^ Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets - Recap - March 23, 2011 - ESPN
14. ^ "Kings void Hayes' contract after center fails initial physical exam". The Sacramento Bee. December 19, 2011. http://blogs.sacbee.com/sports/kings/archives/2011/12/kings-void-haye.html. 
15. ^ "Reps: Chuck Hayes has no heart issue". ESPN.com. December 22, 2011. http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/7379954/chuck-hayes-reps-say-heart-tests-no-problem-failed-sacramento-kings-physical. Retrieved December 22, 2011. 
16. ^ [1]
17. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLx-Ei2Pk_Y
18. ^ http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_18010.shtml
19. ^ http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/Notes_Hayes_becomes_a_proud_f-222258-34.html?rss=true
20. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgMuZXheyD4

External links[link]

• NBA.com Profile - Chuck Hayes
• Chuck Hayes at ESPN.com
• Career UK Stats

Kevin Garnett

Garnett with the Celtics on January 13, 2008
No. 5 – Boston Celtics
Power forward / Center
Personal information
Born	(1976-05-19) May 19, 1976 (age 36) Greenville, South Carolina
Nationality	American
High school	Mauldin High School Farragut Career Academy
Listed height	6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight	253 lb (115 kg)
Career information
NBA Draft	1995 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5th overall
Selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves
Pro career	1995–present
Career history
1995–2007	Minnesota Timberwolves
2007–present	Boston Celtics
Career highlights and awards
NBA Champion (2008) NBA Most Valuable Player (2004) NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2008) 14× NBA All-Star (1997–1998, 2000–2011) 4× All-NBA First Team (2000, 2003–2004, 2008) 3× All-NBA Second Team (2001–2002, 2005) 2× All-NBA Third Team (1999, 2007) 9× NBA All-Defensive First Team (2000–2005, 2008–2009, 2011) 3× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2006–2007, 2012) NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1996) 4× NBA rebounding champion (2004–2007) NBA All-Star Game MVP (2003) J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award (2006)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals Men's basketball Competitor for the  United States Olympic Games Gold 2000 Sydney Team competition FIBA Americas Championship Gold 1999 San Juan Team competition

Kevin Maurice Garnett (born May 19, 1976) is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). In high school, Garnett was a 1995 McDonald's All-American at Farragut Career Academy and won a national player of the year award.^[1][2] Garnett entered the 1995 NBA Draft, where he was selected with the 5th overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves and became the first NBA player drafted directly out of high school in 20 years.

Garnett made an immediate impact with the Minnesota Timberwolves leading them to eight-consecutive playoff appearances. In 2004, Garnett led the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals and was voted Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the 2003–04 season. Since his second season in the NBA, Garnett has been named to 14 All-Star Games, winning the All-Star MVP award in 2003, and is currently tied for 3rd-most All-Star selections in NBA history.^{[n 1]} He was awarded the regular season's NBA Defensive Player of the Year in the 2007–08 season and has been a nine-time member of the All-NBA Teams selection and a twelve-time member of the All-Defensive Teams selection.^[3] Garnett currently holds several all-time Timberwolves franchise records.

After spending 12 seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Garnett was traded to the Boston Celtics in a blockbuster trade in 2007. In his first year with the Celtics, he helped lead them to their first NBA championship since 1986.

Early life[link]

Kevin Garnett was born in Greenville, South Carolina to Shirley Garnett and O'Lewis McCullough, and was the second of his mother's three children.^[4] After divorcing McCullough, Shirley Garnett raised Kevin and his two siblings. She then re-married and moved the family to Mauldin, South Carolina when Kevin Garnett was twelve.^[4]

Garnett fell in love with the sport of basketball while attending Hillcrest Middle School, although he did not play organized ball until high school. In his first three high school years, Garnett played for Mauldin High School. However, during the summer prior to his senior year of high school, Garnett was in the general vicinity of a fight between black and white students. Although not directly involved, Garnett was one of three students arrested for second-degree lynching, a charge he managed to expunge through pre-trial intervention.^[5] Due to the racially charged incident and fearful of being a target, Garnett decided to leave Mauldin.^[6] He transferred to Farragut Career Academy in Chicago, Illinois for his senior year of high school. He led Farragut to a 28–2 record and was named National High School Player of the Year by USA Today. He was named Mr. Basketball for the State of Illinois after averaging 25.2 points, 17.9 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 6.5 blocks while shooting 66.8% from the field. In four years of high school, Garnett posted an impressive 2,553 points, 1,809 rebounds and 737 blocked shots. He was named the Most Outstanding Player at the McDonald's All-American Game after registering 18 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocked shots, and then declared himself eligible for the 1995 NBA Draft.^[7] Garnett played alongside Ronnie Fields in high school, who also followed a professional career. Garnett also excelled in soccer during his high school days. To mark the 35th anniversary of the McDonald’s All American High School Boys Basketball Game, Garnett was honored as one of 35 Greatest McDonald's All Americans.^[8]

NBA career[link]

Minnesota Timberwolves[link]

Early years (1995–1997)[link]

Garnett was drafted with the fifth pick of the 1995 NBA Draft by the struggling Minnesota Timberwolves, and became the first player to be drafted directly out of high school since 1975.^[9] After joining the NBA for the 1989–90 season, the Timberwolves had not won more than 29 games in any season.^[10] In Garnett's rookie season, the Timberwolves were in the midst of a transition phase; they replaced Bill Blair with Flip Saunders as head coach early in the season and made several trades. Garnett initially came off the bench in his rookie year, but moved into the starting lineup soon after Saunders became head coach. In his rookie year, Garnett and fellow newcomer Tom Gugliotta carried the scoring load. Garnett did not immediately leap to stardom as later prep-to-pro prospects such as Amar'e Stoudemire, LeBron James and Dwight Howard would, but he did have a very respectable rookie year. He averaged 10.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game and was voted into the All-Rookie Second Team.^[3] Despite having some promising players, the Timberwolves suffered through their seventh consecutive sub-30 win season and failed to make the playoffs. At the time Garnett was the youngest NBA player in history at 19 years and 11 months of age.^[7]

Prior to the 1996–97 season, the Timberwolves made a draft-day trade for point guard Stephon Marbury of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. During the season Garnett posted improving averages of 17.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.1 blocks and 1.7 steals.^[3] He also had two games where he registered eight blocks.^[7] With a 40–42 record, the Timberwolves made their first playoff appearance in franchise history, Garnett and Gugliotta made their first All-Star appearances, and Marbury established himself as a valuable young lead guard. However, the Houston Rockets, led by Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, and Charles Barkley proved to be too much as the Timberwolves were swept 3–0 in the first round of the 1997 NBA Playoffs.

Franchise player (1997–2001)[link]

During the 1997–98 NBA season, the Timberwolves and Garnett agreed on a six-year contract extension that was worth an unparalleled $126 million.^[7] The contract was a risky move and many pundits^[who?] speculated that the deal would make it impossible for the Wolves to sign new players or even keep their own. The enormous size of Garnett's contract was considered, by numerous sports writers, a major cause of labor tensions between players and owners that led to a lockout which shortened the 1998–99 NBA season. Despite the furor over his new contract, Garnett continued to improve, averaging 18.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.7 steals per game. Again, he was an All-Star, and the Timberwolves finished with their first winning record in franchise history (45–37 for the season). For the second consecutive year the young Timberwolves bowed out of the playoffs in the first round, this time losing 2–3 against the Seattle SuperSonics and superstar point guard Gary Payton. The two wins against the Sonics marked the Wolves' first-ever playoff game wins. The off-season started poorly for the Timberwolves though as 20-point per game scorer Tom Gugliotta left for the Phoenix Suns.

Garnett as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves

In the lockout-shortened season that followed, Garnett broke through as a superstar. Putting up stats of 20.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.8 blocks per game,^[3] he was named to the All-NBA Third Team. However, midway through the season Stephon Marbury was traded to the New Jersey Nets. Although the Wolves received two-time All-Star Terrell Brandon in return, they were not able to overcome the discord and limped into the playoffs as the 8th seed with a 25–25 record. The Wolves were defeated in the first round again, this time losing 1–3 to the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs who were led by young superstar and eventual NBA Finals MVP Tim Duncan. In the next season, Garnett continued his notable play, averaging 22.9 points, 11.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.5 steals per game and made the first of his four All-NBA First Team appearances.^[3] Assisted by sharpshooting rookie forward Wally Szczerbiak and steady veteran Brandon, the Wolves posted a franchise-best 50–32 record, but succumbed in the first round to the Portland Trail Blazers 3–1.

In the 1999–2000 NBA season, Timberwolves' guard Malik Sealy was killed by a drunk driver and the NBA ruled that the free agent signing of Joe Smith was illegal. The NBA punished the team for the illegal signing by stripping the team of three first-round draft picks, fining Glen Taylor (the owner of the team) $3.5 million, and banning general manager Kevin McHale for one year. Garnett led the Wolves to a 47–35 record and made the All-NBA Second Team, but again, the Wolves did not survive the first round of the playoffs, losing to the Spurs 3–1.

MVP and division champions (2001–2004)[link]

In the 2001–02 season, Garnett posted another notable season, his averages of 21.2 points, 12.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.2 steals per game enough for another All-NBA Second Team nomination. However, the Timberwolves bowed out in the first round for the sixth consecutive time, this time getting swept 3–0 by the Dallas Mavericks led by Michael Finley, Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki. Garnett's next season was one of the best of his career, his 23.0 ppg / 13.0 rpg / 6.0 apg / 1.6 bpg / 1.4 spg season earning him his second All-NBA First Team nomination and second place in the MVP voting.^[7] The Timberwolves posted a good 51–31 record, but for the seventh consecutive time, they did not make it out of the first round, this time losing to the Los Angeles Lakers, 4 games to 2.

In the 2003–04 season, things finally seemed to come together for Garnett. In past years, the Wolves had practically been a one-man show, but now, the Timberwolves had made two valuable acquisitions: highly talented but volatile swingman Latrell Sprewell and the seasoned two-time NBA champion Sam Cassell, who supplanted Troy Hudson at point guard. In addition, defensive center Ervin Johnson complemented the inconsistent Michael Olowokandi. Powered by the best supporting cast in his career, Garnett averaged 24.2 points, 13.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.2 blocks and 1.5 steals per game for the season. Having recorded career highs in points, rebounds, blocks and leading the league rebounds, Garnett was named the league Most Valuable Player for the first time in his career.^[3] With a franchise-record 58 wins, the Wolves stormed into the playoffs, and finally vanquished their playoff bane by defeating the Denver Nuggets 4–1 in the first round. After disposing of the strong Sacramento Kings 4–3 in the Western Conference Semifinals, Garnett and the Timberwolves met the Lakers. Against the Lakers, playmaker Cassell went down with a back injury. With reserve point guard Hudson also injured, the Timberwolves alternated between third playmaker Darrick Martin and shooting guard Fred Hoiberg at the "one", or even running Garnett himself as point forward or a real point guard. The Los Angeles Lakers pulled off a 4–2 victory in the series.

Frustration (2004–2007)[link]

In the 2004–05 season, Garnett was named to the All-NBA Second Team,^[3] but the Timberwolves failed to make the playoffs for the first time in eight years with a record of 44–38. The 2005–06 season brought more frustration for Garnett. Sprewell turned down a 3-year $21 million dollar extension, and the Wolves wary of his injuries and age, traded Cassell for the much less effective Marko Jaric, and the team record for '05–'06 fell to 33–49. Despite Garnett's play, the team logged the second worst record since Garnett joined the franchise. On 10 May 2007 Garnett was named to the All-NBA Third Team.

During the 2007 off-season, Taylor admitted that although he had planned on retaining Garnett, he would finally listen to trade offers.^[11] Garnett's name was mentioned in various trade rumors involving the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, and Dallas Mavericks.^{[12][13][14][15][16]}

Boston Celtics (2007–present)[link]

Garnett in Game 4 of the 2008 NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks.

Garnett dunking a ball in a game against the Washington Wizards

On July 31, 2007, Garnett was traded to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff, cash considerations, Boston's 2009 first-round draft pick (top 3 protected) and the 2009 first-round pick Minnesota had traded to Boston in the Ricky Davis-Wally Szczerbiak trade of 2006.^[17] The 7-for-1 deal constitutes the largest number of players traded for a single player in league history.^[18] At the time of the trade, Garnett had the longest current tenure of any player in the NBA with one team, having played for the Timberwolves for his first 12 seasons (a total of 927 games). Garnett said that he was proud to be a part of the Celtics, and hoped to continue its proud tradition and basketball success.^[19][20][21] On the day the trade was announced, Garnett signed a three-year $60 million contract extension that would start after his prior deal ran out in 2009. On August 1, 2007 the day after signing his Celtics contract, Garnett threw the ceremonial first pitch at Fenway Park prior to a Red Sox-Orioles game. Garnett has claimed to be a long-time Red Sox fan.^[22]

The trade for Garnett had many experts speculating that the Celtics would have a resurgence during the 2007–08 season.^[23] The combination of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Garnett were almost automatically nicknamed "The Big Three" by the media, after the Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish trio.^[24] Garnett wore jersey number 5 for the Celtics since his number with the Timberwolves, number 21, was retired by the Celtics, previously worn by Bill Sharman. He made his Boston debut with a strong performance against the Washington Wizards, with 22 points and 20 rebounds.^[25] He also led all players in voting for the 2008 NBA All-Star Game. Garnett received 2,399,148 votes, the sixth highest total in NBA All-Star balloting history.^[26] However, Garnett was unable to play due to an abdominal strain, and Detroit Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace was named by NBA Commissioner David Stern to replace him.^[27][28] East All-Star head coach Doc Rivers replaced Garnett with Toronto Raptors forward Chris Bosh in the starting lineup.^[29] Garnett passed 20,000 points for his career, becoming the 32nd player in NBA history to reach the mark,^[30] with a layup in the 2nd quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies on March 8, 2008.^[31] On April 22, 2008, Garnett was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the 2007–08 season.^[32][33] It was the only major award a Celtic player had not claimed since the franchise's foundation in 1946.^[34] However, Garnett claimed it was a team effort which helped him win the award.^[35] Garnett was also third in MVP voting for the year, behind only Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul.^[36] Garnett helped the Celtics to their 17th NBA Championship, with 26 points and 14 rebounds in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. During that championship season, Garnett and Celtics legend Bill Russell had heart to heart conversations together which were captured on television.^[37] On June 18, 2008, Garnett and Ray Allen appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, soon after winning the championship.^[38]

In the 2008–09 season, Garnett started all of the 57 games he was able to suit up for. He averaged 15.8 points 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. On October 31, 2008, Garnett became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 1,000 career games, at 32 years and 165 days.^[39][40] Garnett earned his twelfth consecutive All-Star Game start on February 15, 2009. Following the All-Star Game, during a game against the Utah Jazz, Garnett strained his right knee late in the second quarter. The injury occurred on February 19, 2009, while attempting to go up for an alley-oop.^[41] He was forced to miss the next 14 games. Upon his return from the injury, he averaged 9 points and 4.5 rebounds in four games before being shut down for the season permanently, missing the final 25 games of the regular season including the 2009 NBA playoffs due to a right knee sprain.^[42] The Celtics would advance to the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals that year, only to be eliminated by the Orlando Magic.

In the 2009–2010 season, Garnett and the Celtics, joined by newly signed free agent Rasheed Wallace, struggled with injuries and inconsistency throughout much of the regular season and earned the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Garnett was selected to play in the 2010 NBA All-Star Game (his 13th All-Star Game selection). Despite being written off by nearly every major sports analyst, the Celtics elevated their play and consistently dominated opponents much as they did during their 2008 Championship run. They eliminated the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Orlando Magic to advance to face the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2010 NBA Finals. The 2010 Finals went to a decisive seventh game in Los Angeles, where the Celtics led well into the third quarter before the Lakers mounted a comeback and held on for the victory.^[43]

International career[link]

In the 2000 Summer Olympics, he won a gold medal as a member of the USA men's national basketball team. He declined to play in the 2004 Olympics.^[44]

Underestimated height[link]

Although Garnett is officially listed as 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) by the NBA, he is widely accepted to be at least 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) tall.^[45][46] During the 2007 NBA All-Star Game, Garnett admitted in an interview with Craig Sager to be "6 ft 11 in and some quarters" (2.12 m) tall.^[47] Measurements from the 1995 NBA Draft show the 19 year-old Garnett measured 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) tall barefoot.^[48] In 1997, Garnett was measured by Minnesota Timberwolves training staff as 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) tall in his basketball shoes.^[49]

Personal life[link]

In July 2004 Garnett married his longtime girlfriend Brandi Padilla during a private ceremony in California. The wedding was the reason he did not take part in the Athens 2004 Olympic games. Garnett is a cousin to former Los Angeles Lakers player Shammond Williams,^[50] and is the half brother of Louis McCullough, who played for the ABA's Syracuse Raging Bullz. Brandi's older sister Lisa is married to super producer Jimmy Jam. Their daughter Capri was born Friday 18 April 2008.^[51][52]

His nicknames include "The Big Ticket", "KG", "Da Kid" and formerly "The Franchise" (after being known as the Minnesota Timberwolves' franchise player).^[7]

In December 2011, Garnett agreed to become a limited shareholder of American-owned Italian Serie A soccer team A.S. Roma.^[53]

NBA career statistics[link]

Regular season[link]

Playoffs[link]

Achievements[link]

Garnett holds the Larry O'Brien Trophy at the championship parade of the 2008 NBA Champions Boston Celtics.

During his time in the league Garnett has established a long list of achievements, including:^[3]

• NBA Champion: 2008
• Olympic gold medal: 2000
• NBA Most Valuable Player: 2004
• NBA Defensive Player of the Year: 2008
• NBA All-Star Game MVP: 2003
• 14-time NBA All-Star: 1997—2011
  • Selected to 14 consecutive All-Star teams (1997-2011) (no game in 1999 due to lockout).
  • Selected, but did not play due to injury in 2008.
• 9-time All-NBA selection:

• First Team: 2000, 2003, 2004, 2008
• Second Team: 2001, 2002, 2005
• Third Team: 1999, 2007

• 12-time All-Defensive:

• First Team: 2000—2005, 2008—2009, 2011
• Second Team: 2006-2007, 2012

• NBA All-Rookie selection:

• Second team: 1996

• J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award: 2006
• Ranked #30 in SLAM Magazine's 2009 revision of the top 50 greatest players of all time (published in the August 2009 issue)^[54]

See also[link]

• List of National Basketball Association career blocks leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career free throw scoring leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career rebounding leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career playoff rebounding leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career playoff blocks leaders
• List of National Basketball Association season rebounding leaders

Notes[link]

References[link]