Watching Garnett’s new documentary, …

Watching Garnett’s new documentary, Anything is Possible, which premieres Friday on Showtime, the full breadth of his influence on the modern NBA comes into focus. He was the first player since the 1970s to enter the draft out of high school, paving the way for Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and others. The six-year, $126 million extension he signed in 1997 set records at the time for player salaries and precipitated the 1999 lockout and the creation of the league’s current salary structure. And his 2007 team-up with Ray Allen and Paul Pierce in Boston was the first “superteam” under the current definition, with three stars coming together to dominate. There are plenty of funny individual moments and interviews with Garnett and his friends and contemporaries in the film, but that wide-ranging impact on the sport in 2021 is what stands out.