Kevin Garnett announces NBA retirement

Kevin Garnett has informed the Minnesota Timberwolves that he will retire after 21 seasons in the NBA. Garnett will be waived by the Wolves and will collect his full salary of $8 million for the upcoming season.

Garnett posted a video on Instagram announcing his retirement, four days before the team opens training camp. The lanky forward bids farewell in a black and white short film that begins with him arriving at the Target Center, Minnesota's arena.

"I'm just grateful. I can't even put that into words," he said. "Just grateful for everything and for the love. I never thought people would love me like this. But for it to be reality, is just another thing."

Garnett spent 13 and a half seasons with the Timberwolves and was named the Most Valuable Player in 2004. He also won a championship and appeared in two NBA Finals with the Boston Celtics. Garnett went straight from high school to the NBA in 1995, paving the way for others like Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, and LeBron James to do the same.

In fact, Garnett became the first player in 20 years to enter the NBA Draft, and from then on, every draft has had at least one high school player until 2005, when the League put a stop to the practice.

"It has been a true pleasure to watch KG's career since he entered the league as a young man and see how he developed his skills to become one of the best in the NBA," said Glen Taylor, owner of the Timberwolves in a statement. "I have cherished the opportunity to watch him grow and become a leader. I wish him success in the next chapter of his life. His fans in Minnesota will always enjoy the memories he has left."

The 40-year-old player put the Timberwolves on the map, turning the once hopeless franchise into a playoff team. He then helped the Celtics win their 17th title and return to glory.

"Everything changed the day Kevin Garnett arrived in Boston," said Boston Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck in a statement. "From that moment, we knew we would reach the Finals and have a chance to win." Garnett won the MVP trophy in 2004, after leading the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals, and along with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, brought the Celtics back to relevance.

After the Celtics, he had a forgettable season and a half with the Brooklyn Nets before the late Flip Saunders convinced him to return to Minnesota before the 2015 trade deadline.

During his second stint in Minnesota, the team that will retire his jersey #21, Garnett served as a mentor to young stars like Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, Gorgui Dieng, and Zach LaVine, teaching them a sense of intensity and professionalism on which Minnesota bases its hopes for the upcoming season.