How Boston Celtics champion big man Kevin Garnett’s jumper set stage for modern stretch bigs

KG changed the game in a number of ways, but his jumper is perhaps among the most important.

In many ways, former Boston Celtic big man Kevin Garnett was a big man ahead of his time. The champion center had mobility, could put the ball on the court in a pinch, pass the rock when needed, and, most importantly, shoot the ball away from the basket.

In the era of ground-bound, back-to-the-basket, lumbering bigs, The Big Ticket was almost a polar opposite, using his basketball IQ and intensity in equal parts with his skilled game that helped propel the Celtics to their 17th and penultimate title in 2008. A prototypical stretch big that helped define the DNA of the frontcourt player of our age, the folks at ESPN put together a video diving into his floor-stretching trailblazing.

He truly was a forward-looking frontcourt player who likely would have excelled even more in the style of play we see on the court today.

Watch the video embedded above to see how Garnett impacted the modern style of play for most centers and virtually all power forwards in the league today.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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