When Kevin Garnett returned to the Minnesota Timberwolves via trade in February 2015, he had a long-term plan — when his career was over in two years, he and Timberwolves coach/president Flip Saunders would form a group that would buy the team. Those plans changed, however, after Saunders died in October 2015.
Now Garnett is retired and working in television, but according to an interview with For The Win, he’s still bitter about how things went off he tracks with owner Glen Taylor after Saunders’ death.
It seemed like it was perfect for how Flip organized and put it together and designed it. Obviously when he left us, Glen saw differently and wanted to go a different way. I’ve always said I wanted to be a part of an organization that is about winning more progressively, in that direction. Minnesota seemed like a perfect fit for that. That has changed. I don’t see myself doing that any time soon, but that still is a goal of mine. I would like to be part of an organization that is part of winning, that I can help the young guys progress. So that’s still a dream but not a priority at this point.
When asked if it was a disappointment, Garnett said:
A little bit. A little bit. To say Debbie Downer is an understatement. It was a huge disappointment and one that showed me the true Glen Taylor. It showed me how he really feels. When this guy got the team, it was worth $90 million. When I left it, it was worth somewhere in the $400 (millions). That was never taken into account in my value or none of that. I guess I served my purpose, and I was on to the next. So it’s all good. So it’s all good. I’m moving on and taking my ball and playing somewhere else.
As far as relationships between star players and their organizations go, the rift between Garnett and the Timberwolves has to be up there. It doesn’t seem like it will be mended any time soon, but at least we will have him dropping F-bombs on TNT and roasting Charles Barkley whenever he can.
