Kevin Garnett

Kevin Garnett redefined what a power forward could be — simultaneously the most dominant interior defender and one of the most versatile offensive players at his position across a 21-year career. His MVP season in 2003-04 — 24.2 points, 13.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 49.9% shooting across 82 games for a Minnesota team that had never been to the conference finals — remains one of the most complete individual seasons the position has produced.

What made Garnett exceptional was the combination of his defensive range and his offensive utility. He could defend all five positions, switch onto guards in pick-and-roll coverage before it was fashionable, and anchor a paint defense through positioning and anticipation rather than just shot-blocking. Offensively, he was a high-post operator who made decisions as a playmaker before looking for his own shot.

In 2007-08, he moved to Boston and won his only championship alongside Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, adding Defensive Player of the Year honors to his career résumé. His intensity was legendary: few players in NBA history brought the psychological engagement to basketball that Garnett did, and his effect on team culture — in Minnesota, Boston, and everywhere else — was consistently outsized relative to his statistical contribution alone.

Garnett entered the NBA straight out of high school in 1995, making him one of the first players to successfully make that transition in the modern era and opening the door for future prep-to-pro decisions. He is fifth on the all-time minutes played list, a marker of both longevity and the relentless consistency of a player who rarely gave himself a possession off.