Andrew Wiggins Is 1 of Kevin Garnett’s Favorite Players in the NBA, but He Makes the Hall of Famer Angry All the Time: ‘He Pisses Me Off’
Andrew Wiggins and Kevin Garnett were teammates on the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2014-15 and 2015-16. Garnett took Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns under his wing and tried to help them become superstars.
Unfortunately, Wiggins never reached his potential with the Timberwolves and was traded to the Golden State Warriors in 2020. Fans and pundits have questioned whether the 2014-15 Rookie of the Year truly loves basketball and has the diligence to be great, especially after Jimmy Butler reportedly had issues with Wiggins’ work ethic and approach on defense during the 2017-18 season. Butler supposedly requested a trade from the Timberwolves because he didn’t think he could compete against elite teams with Wiggins and Towns by his side.
However, Wiggins is flourishing with the Warriors, and Garnett is happy for him. However, the Hall of Famer still gets upset at the Kansas product.
Kevin Garnett on Andrew Wiggins: “He’s one of my favorite players to watch. And he pisses me off”
Garnett told Baxter Holmes of ESPN that Wiggins is one of his favorite players to watch in the NBA. However, the Big Ticket admitted the swingman pisses him off.
“He’s one of my favorite players to watch,” Garnett said. “And he pisses me off at the same time because he has the ability to be on another level. Wiggs’ question mark has always been consistency. Not if he has the ability to be a superstar, but the consistency of being a superstar.”
Wiggins averaged 19.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 442 games with the Timberwolves. However, he only shot 44.1% from the field, 33.2% from beyond the arc, and 73.4% from the free-throw line. Minnesota fans wanted Wiggins to be an All-Star who turned the franchise into winners alongside Towns, but the Canada native never lived up to the hype surrounding him in high school and college.
Talent has never been an issue for Wiggins. He can jump out of the gym and score from anywhere on the court with ease. However, Wiggins’ passion for the game has always been a question, and Garnett has often thought about that.
Kevin Garnett wondered about Andrew Wiggins’ passion for the game
Frustrated by the perceived gap between Wiggins’ talent and performance, Garnett wondered about the youngster’s passion for the game since he couldn’t understand how someone so physically gifted struggled to be consistent.
“I thought he liked basketball, but I don’t think he loved it,” Garnett said. “Like, Wiggs has other interests in life. He has other things that stimulate him, and I have to respect that.”
Wiggins may have rediscovered his love for basketball with the Warriors since he’s finally on a winning team and surrounded by other great players. The small forward has played with more energy this season and is on pace to average career highs in field goal percentage and 3-point field goal percentage. Wiggins is averaging 19.1 points while shooting 49.0% from the field and 43.5% from beyond the arc.
“I still believe what I believe in him,” Garnett says. “He’s at a great age to be able — if he wants — to take it to the next level.”
The Warriors have the best record in the NBA behind the stellar play of Wiggins and Stephen Curry. Once Klay Thompson returns from his Achilles tear, Golden State will arguably become the most dangerous offensive team in the NBA, and Wiggins is thankful he’s learning from some of the best players of all time.
Warriors SF: “I’m around greatness”
Wiggins has only played in five career postseason games. That number will change this season since the Warriors are poised to make a deep postseason run.
“We’re winning,” Wiggins said. “We’re top of the West. Everyone pushes each other. I’m around greatness. Being around Steve, being around Bob, being around Steph, Draymond, Klay, people that have won multiple championships and that ran the league for a long time. And those guys believe in me. Every day, whether it’s offensively, defensively. Offensively, they trust me with the ball. Defensively, they put me on the other team’s best player. That right there is motivating.”
Wiggins should appreciate that Garnett is a fan of him since KG doesn’t like everyone. Moving forward, it will be interesting to see how far the Warriors go in the 2022 playoffs and if Wiggins can finally stop pissing Garnett off and reach his full potential.
