Celtics to Retire Kevin Garnett’s Jersey

Kevin Garnett in 2019
Kevin Garnett in 2019. Photo by Shutterstock (10154902i)

Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett will have his No. 5 jersey retired by the Boston Celtics on March 13th, 2022. The ceremony will be part of the Celtics’ regular-season game against the Dallas Mavericks.

The Celtics initially announced the retirement of Garnett’s jersey back in early 2020. But the franchise decided to postpone the ceremony due to the coronavirus pandemic, wanting to have fans back in the arena for this special occasion.

Garnett spent six seasons with the Celtics. He arrived in Boston in 2007 from the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of the blockbuster trade that paired him with All-Stars Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. The trio led the Celtics to a title in their first season together and followed that up with another NBA Finals appearance in 2010.

“I’m honored and thankful to have my number retired with the Celtics,” said Garnett when Boston revealed their intentions to retire his jersey. “I will always have immense respect and appreciation for ownership, Danny Ainge, Doc Rivers, my past teammates, and Celtic Nation!”

Interestingly, the Celtics will be the first team that retires Kevin Garnett’s jersey. While Garnett spent most of his career (14 seasons) with the Minnesota Timberwolves and is considered the best player in franchise history, the team is still to hang his No. 21 jersey in the rafters. And it may take a while before this happens; as Garnett previously stated that he isn’t interested in the honor as long as team owner Glen Taylor, with whom he has a poor relationship, is in charge. 

Garnett won the NBA MVP and NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards during his storied NBA career while earning 15 NBA All-Star nods and nine All-NBA selections. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the 2020 Class.