Pat Riley's first encounter with Kevin Garnett was memorable to say the least
Miami Heat team president Pat Riley apparently wasn't a fan of scouting high school players in 1995.
Kevin Garnett, who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame later this summer, recently relayed an interesting story about when Riley attended one of his pre-draft workouts. It was part of an interview during Garnett's Showtime documentary that is expected to be released in the fall.
At the time, Garnett was the first high school player to enter the draft in 20 years. It was during a period when NBA coaches were more fond of players with some college experience.
Garnett recalls overhearing Riley questioning why he was watching a high schooler. Garnett said the slight made him work harder in the session, eventually drawing praise from Riley. Later that summer, Garnett was drafted No. 5 by the Minnesota Timberwolves and won league MVP in 2004. He also led the Boston Celtics to a championship in 2008.
Forgive Riley for his early reaction because Garnett's situation was so new at the time. It led to players like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwight Howard bypassing college for the NBA.
Riley even joined in 2004 when he selected Dorrell Wright out of high school. That move didn't work out well as others, with Wright having a six-year mediocre stay in Miami before bouncing around the league.
Still, the Riley-Garnett introduction is just another memorable moment in their legendary careers.
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