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Kevin Garnett Says Pelicans Would Be Wise To Keep ‘Generational Talent’ Zion Williamson

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Whether or not you consider Basketball Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett a ‘generational talent’ is up to you.

But there’s no debating that The Big Ticket is sure close to it if not.

The Minnesota Timberwolves selected Garnett with the fifth overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft. He then went on to play 21 seasons in the league, making 15 NBA All-Star Game appearances along the way and lifting the Larry O’Brien Trophy with the Boston Celtics in 2008.

So one thing is clear, Garnett certainly know what talent looks like.

Which brings us to the topic of Zion Williamson.

The New Orleans Pelicans used the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft on the Duke star. His four NBA seasons since have featured flashes of absolutely greatness surrounded by nonstop injury issues and, most recently, some off the court issues.

This had led the Pelicans to exploring trading Williamson, who signed a rookie max contract extension last summer.

But Garnett says that this would be a foolish idea, and that New Orleans should allow the 22-year-old “generational talent” time to grow up and mature.

“First off,New Orleans, calm down. F****** calm down,” Garnett said on Ticket and The Truth podcast with Paul Piece. “…Zion is f****** a human being. He’s going to put his pants in one leg, and he’s going to put his leg in the other leg. You understand?

“Man, look. S*** happens and he’s gonna go through some. He’s a growing young man. If you thought he was going to go through this whole s*** and nothing happens to the kid, that’s not how it works. That’s not how life is working. You understand? …Zion is a generational talent.”

Garnett then asked why teams can’t be patient with Williamson if the Sixers were patient with Joel Embiid and the Bucks were patient with Giannis Antetokounmpo (were were far different circumstances, but I digress).

Pierce then spoke up, saying he doesn’t feel Williamson is that type of talent. He suggested that both Shawn Kemp and Charles Barkley were similar players (both of whom are not in Williamson’s generation, but again…).

The two then argued back and forth before agreeing to disagree.

One way or another, the Pelicans are reaching a point where a decision must be may one way or another on Williamson’s future.