Kevin Garnett revealed his influence on Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
NBA Legend Kevin Garnett Had Strong Words for Giannis Antetokounmpo originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has been one of the NBA's best stories since entering the league in 2013. When he first entered the NBA, there were no expectations of him as a mid-lottery pick and little attention on him besides his extremely long name.
It didn't take him long to show the kind of potential he had on the Milwaukee Bucks. By his fourth year in the league, he had made an All-Star team and an All-NBA team in 2017, and by his sixth year, he had won the first of his two consecutive Most Valuable Player awards in 2019. He's also won Defensive Player of the Year and won a title.
Doing so puts him in the same stratosphere as Kevin Garnett, who played the same position and won similar accolades in his prime with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics. Antetokounmpo and Garnett were not the same player and had different skillsets, but they had similar impacts on the floor.
As it turns out, Garnett played a hand in Antetokounmpo's explosion in the early days of the latter's career. During an interview with Bucks+, Garnett talked about what changed about Antetokounmpo when they worked out together following the former's retirement in 2016.
"He was very respectful and he was very timid," Garnett said. "He wouldn't look me in the face. He would look down. He would be listening, and then I started making him look at me... I'm giving it to him, and then he'll just nod his head and look.
"And then, as I started working with him a little more, I noticed that he had a fire that he wanted to let out. I didn't have time to show him all of it, but I showed him things that I thought that could have absolutely helped him day one. Early Giannis was timid until he actually dialed into the knowledge and then he applied the knowledge which is the difference in a lot of things."
"He had a fire that he wanted to let out." 🔥
— Bucks+ (@BucksPlusAudio) August 12, 2025
@KevinGarnett5KG reflects on his first impressions of Giannis & his legendary work ethic on a new episode of Hear District.
🎥 WATCH: https://t.co/53muOYzidOpic.twitter.com/dMpbdg7Bw6
Garnett Got Under People's Skin When He Played
Not only was Garnett an all-time player, but he also liked to provoke opponents through trash talk and physical play, which led to him getting into plenty of fights throughout his NBA career.
That's why his story about his workout with Antetokounmpo in 2016 checks out. He was trying to bring out the best in the Bucks star by angering him. Antetokounmpo's talent was palpable from the jump, but his aggression has also played a hand in how he's built his legacy. There's no telling if Garnett brought it out of him, but he did all he could.
Related: Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo Makes Strong Admission About Spurs Star
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Basketball
