Glen Davis credits Kevin Garnett for saving his NBA career

At their core, basketball’s GOATs are legends for a reason. Not only do they have distinct personalities and minds, but they are the greatest workers the world has ever seen. Specifically, not a day goes by that they don’t put in the work, whether on the court, in the weight room, or in the recovery room.

Coincidentally, they want everybody else to do the same and keep everyone under a magnifying glass.

While on the surface it seems like they have it all, the players earn every single thing that comes to them. Behind the scenes, they do what most wouldn’t be capable of, staying prepared for every moment, organizing their whole lives around their craft and never letting any opportunity blow past them.

Thanks to that, numerous people around them, including their teammates, have shared iconic stories, unforgettable moments and advice that ultimately changed their careers for the better.

For former NBA player Glen Davis, that player was Kevin Garnett.

During his time on the Boston Celtics with KG, Big Baby was surrounded by a generational group of players, including Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo, whom he learned much from.

However, as we all know by now, Garnett is a different animal when it comes to players who are wired differently through hard work and dedication, which helped Davis throughout the course of his career.

“The things I’ve learned from him, I probably wouldn’t have been in the league this long,” said Davis. “My rookie year, I had an opportunity to see what it look like as far as every day to work hard. Yeah, I had a work ethic, you know, but as far as just professional, ‘Hey, top of the line, these are how the guys up here are successful.’ I had that example with KG.”

“Somebody to be able to talk to, learn things from. He’s taught me so many things, just, you know, on the court, off the court, just mentality of just being a pro, he helped me a lot, I love him for that.”

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Whether you think Garnett is crazy or not, it’s undeniable that when he speaks, everybody listens. He has a unique way of discussing basketball and changing the perspective of others through it. For Davis, that was certainly the case.

“I remember this like it was yesterday,” said Big Baby when asked what the biggest lesson KG has taught him. “Don’t be sleep when opportunity is knocking at the door. It made me realize that’s how he works this way. He stay ready. When my opportunity came with the Celtics, I couldn’t sleep when the opportunity was knocking.”

In his 2007-08 rookie season, Davis won a championship with the Celtics. Although he didn’t serve as a vital piece during their championship run, he quickly rose to a crucial role off the bench, taking on Garnett’s starting role in the following playoffs due to KG’s knee injury, which kept him out entirely.

After that, Big Baby was one of the most underrated energy guys off the bench during his time in the league. A few years later, with the Orlando Magic, Davis had his best season in 2012-13, averaging 15.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

Although his career wasn’t expected to end the way it did, if it weren’t for KG, it might’ve ended even earlier.

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