It was hard to believe that when Kevin Garnett was traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Boston Celtics in late July, 2007, he had already been in the NBA for 12 seasons. The player once known as "The Kid" was a grizzled veteran hoping to spark new life into a once-storied franchise.
The Wolves thought Garnett would bring the same type of glory to their team when they selected him fifth overall in the 1995 NBA Draft. It was a risky pick, as Garnett was the first player to be drafted straight from high school to the NBA in two decades, but scouts believed his unique blend of size and skill made him a can't-miss prospect.
The scouts were right, but Garnett also proved to have plenty of another quality that isn't as obvious: heart. As his game matured, he proved to be a fiery competitor known for giving maximum effort every game, every season.
As a player who wore his heart on his sleeve, it was easy to see that Garnett was getting frustrated in Minnesota. Despite the consistently excellent play that got him named to 10 All-Star teams and earned him the 2003-04 Most Valuable Player award, Garnett was unable to elevate the Timberwolves beyond the second round of the playoffs.
Now a Celtic, Garnett joins Paul Pierce and Ray Allen on a suddenly revitalized roster. He's also likely to become an even bigger target for basketball card collectors. Garnett has always been a star, but the change in markets from Minnesota to Boston can only do positive things for his cardboard.
That's good news for anyone who stocked up on Garnett's 15 1995-96 rookie cards. Before the trade, many of them were readily available for under $10. Though the production levels of the mid-90s mean they won't ever reach extremely high prices, they do stand to make some nice percentage gains if KG is successful in restoring some of the glory to the Celtics name.
Kevin Garnett 1995-96 Rookie Cards
- Collector's Choice # 275
- E-XL # 49
- Finest # 115
- Flair # 206
- Fleer # 293
- Hoops # 272
- Metal # 167
- SkyBox Premium # 233
- SP # 159
- SP Championship # 62
- Stadium Club # 343
- Topps # 237
- Topps Gallery # 41
- Ultra # 274
- Upper Deck # 273