Kevin Garnett.Photo: Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE via Getty
In 2016, when it was time to walk away from his NBA career, Kevin Garnett didn’t hesitate. He was closing out that chapter of his life on his terms.
“I was at a point mentally that I was ready, and I had aspirations of other things off the court that I was ready for,” the NBA Hall of Famer tells PEOPLE. “So it was a perfect time for me, man. I have no complaints about anything on my ride in the league, 21 years. Some people don’t get to see the league that long.”
Reflecting on his journey, now, for a new Showtime documentary wasn’t quite as easy, though.
The South Carolina native was propelled to sports superstardom at a young age and didn’t look back. Doing so five years removed from the league, he says, has forced him to “get some things off my chest or things that I’ve been holding onto, or things that I really haven’t dealt with and reflected on.”
“This is like therapy. Making this doc was like therapy,” he admits.
Kevin Garnett in 2002.Dave Sherman/NBAE via Getty
“I did a book in the process of making this doc and the book came out first and it was really truly a piece in where I was able to let a lot of things go and I haven’t had any experience like that previous to that,” Garnett reflects of the dual experience of writingKG: A to Z: An Uncensored Encyclopedia of Life, Basketball, and Everything in Betweenand filmingAnything is Possible.
He adds, “It brought me to peace with a lot of stuff that I actually been dealing with. It brought me to peace with a lot of things that I didn’t necessarily think I dealt with well. And I can say now that after getting it out, talking about it, being able to converse, I feel better about sharing it.”
Garnett’s personality and work ethic are on full display throughout the film, with at one point the athlete’s on-the-court mentality being likened to “win or die.”
He admits to being “stubborn” and “bullheaded” — (“I’m a Taurus, man,” he laughs) — but also “compulsive when it comes to something that I’m passionate about.”
“I just want to get things right,” Garnett says. “I’m a hard worker. So when I played, I didn’t want to lose. I’m not a really good loser. I’m not a really good sportsman. I don’t have good sportsmanship when I lose. I don’t know anybody who likes to lose. I can be a bit with that part of it or come off like I was a bit. So when I heard ‘win or die,’ yeah, that’s pretty accurate.”
Kevin Durant in 1997.Jeff Reinking/NBAE via Getty
Obviously, that hard work paid off: In May, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame alongside Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan.
Garnett calls it the “culmination” of his career.
“It just tells me that I was doing something right,” he summarizes. “To be amongst all the greatest that’s ever played the game is an accomplishment that we all hope to achieve. To be recognized as one of the best in anything we do is what we all want to be. So it was totally unexpected but very, very, very much appreciated. One of the biggest highlights of my little life, man.”
Now, as audiences tune intoAnything Is Possible, Garnett hopes his own life lessons inspire them.
“I hope that they take away the ability and the confidence to believe in themselves. To take chances, to really believe, and have a passion that they really believe in and that they can actually embark on,” he says. “And feel good about embarking on that. Having the confidence to step out of yourself, of your shyness, and to be something greater is the message here.”
Anything Is Possibleairs on Showtime Friday at 8 p.m. ET.
source: people.com
