Caleb Wilson's Bulls Breakout Earns Him High Praise From Kevin Garnett

Caleb Wilson is already drawing a crowd.

By the fourth Summer League game, the courtside seats at Thomas & Mack Center are rather barren. The top picks in the draft are normally sitting in street clothes, as teams prioritize getting one last look at possible two-way players and G Leaguers. But not the Bulls!

Wilson has been adamant about playing as many games as possible, despite being one of the most impressive players on the floor in Las Vegas. He was able to convince Bryson Graham and Co. to let him give it one last go on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Lakers. And he had quite the star-studded fan on the sideline ready to watch.

Kevin Garnett was comfortably seated in his designer shades. It only felt fitting that he was in the building, as the former Timberwolves and Celtics superstar has become a popular high-end comp for Wilson. While it was previously unclear how the ruthless Garnett felt about that comp, his mere presence was a sign of approval. Well, and the fact that he was willing to share his famous nickname with the No. 4 overall pick.

Garnett became known as the Big Ticket during his iconic NBA career, and he has reportedly already coined Wilson as the "Little Ticket," per Amazon Prime's Kristina Pink. All things considered, that is quite the honor from a 15x All-Star and 9x All-NBA selection.

The Bulls would get blown out by the Lakers, who improved to 4-0. But Wilson still made sure that Garnett's visit was worthwhile. He dropped 21 points with 8 rebounds on 7-15 shooting from the field. The three-point jumper may not have been as crisp as in previous games, but he made up for it with several slams.

One of Wilson's best moments came in the second quarter, when he left his feet for a two-handed post slam before drilling a pull-up three on the next possession. Garnett was pumped. He later did his best "Big Ticket" impression with a way-too-easy-looking chase-down block. It more than made up for his turnover at mid-court.

Erased by Caleb! ❌@CalebWilson2025 | #SeeRed pic.twitter.com/O987DzbCYU
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) July 16, 2026

Caleb Wilson's Thoughts on Kevin Garnett

Feb 15, 2025; San Francisco, CA, USA; Former NBA player Kevin Garnett looks on in the skills challenge during All Star Saturday Night ahead of the 2025 NBA All Star Game at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Conveniently enough, Caleb Wilson was actually asked about the Kevin Garnett comparisons two days before. It was one day after he recorded 5 blocks against the Utah Jazz, and on the same day he had his most well-rounded performance with 19 points against the Wizards.

His response was very on-brand for the rookie:

“I don’t really care that much about it," Wilson said. "I feel like we have some similarities, but I feel like we’re much different players. Kevin Garnett is a Hall of Famer, and I don’t really want to be compared to a Hall of Famer because that messes up my expectations around the world. But I don’t really have expectations of being Kevin Garnett. I just have expectations of being Caleb Wilson.”

To be honest, it sounds like the exact kind of response KG would've had at that age. While Wilson undoubtedly respects the champion, he's made clear since coming to Chicago that he holds himself to his own standards. Plus, the comparison game can always get messy. Why not just carve your own path?

With that said, these words were also spoken before Garnett gave him the honor of being "Little Ticket." As locked in as Wilson might be on his own journey, it's hard to imagine the 19-year-old not pinching himself over that one.

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