NBA legend Kevin Garnett spent 21 years in the NBA, so he obviously has a wealth of experience going up against and playing with all kinds of players. From All-Stars to scrubs, he's seen it all.
In 2016, though, Garnett spent time working with Thon Maker, a 7-foot big man who hails from South Sudan. Being a prep-to-pro prospect, the Milwaukee Bucks selected Maker with the 10th pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, hoping to hit the jackpot once again, much like they did with Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Garnett, who was an analyst with Turner Sports at the time, and Maker got to know each other quite well during their time together and KG was so impressed with the youngster that he boldly declared Maker had MVP potential in his future.
Reminded him of himself
KG spent some time in Milwaukee working with both Giannis and Maker and apparently, it was enough for the Boston Celtics great to proclaim the young stud as the NBA's next big thing.
"Thon Maker reminds me a lot of myself. He loves the game. He's a young, exuberant athlete who has a lot of tools—he has touch, he has agility, he has really good feet. He has a really good shot from three-point all the way up to 19 to 21 feet. He has very good bones, as we say," Garnett said.
"Thon is going to be the MVP of the league one day. Mark it down. He has the bones. He has the appetite to be able to chase something like that," Garnett boldly announced.
Didn't work out
Sadly, things didn't work out that way. Maker has had his moments, but he never developed into the star Garnett thought he would be. He spent just five seasons in the NBA and last played in the league in 2021 when he suited up for eight games with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He finished his NBA career with lowly averages of 4.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in over 200 games. Maker is currently playing for the Fujian Sturgeons in the Chinese Basketball Association.
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