National Basketball Association

Kevin Garnett Considering Potential Milwaukee Bucks Coaching Role

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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According to reports, Kevin Garnett is considering a coaching role with the Milwaukee Bucks.

There was never going to be any easy way of guessing what Kevin Garnett would do next as he tried to adjust to life after playing, but who could have foreseen the possibility of him helping to coach the Milwaukee Bucks‘ young core?

Although, unsurprisingly, the legendary Garnett seems to have a whole host of options and avenues open to him, reports from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports’ The Vertical on Thursday night suggest that coaching the Bucks in some capacity is an idea he’s giving some thought to.

In the time since Wojnarowski tweeted out that nugget, Chris Mannix also of The Vertical has followed it up with further details of a TNT role that will leave the Big Ticket with scope to pursue further opportunities, if he so wishes.

So in between his time on TNT, what exactly would a coaching consultant role entail for Garnett? First of all, it’s important to note that according to Wojnarowski, there’s no guarantee that Garnett will ultimately settle on working with just one team.

Why would NBA teams settle for that option and what affords Garnett such a luxury? Well, aside from his remarkable playing career, a recent trip to visit his former coach Doc Rivers and the Los Angeles Clippers suggested that there could be something really special about KG as a teacher too.

As Rivers told ESPN:

“KG was phenomenal today. This morning, before practice, he had a teaching clinic that you would pay a lot of money to see. It was great. It was great for Blake and [DeAndre Jordan] and the young guys as well. It’s great to have him around. He’s a great teacher. We know him as a great player. I knew him as a great teacher. He’ll be really good for us.”

When asked if he saw Garnett’s future lying in a head coaching job, Rivers knocked that idea on its head, while elaborating further on what it is that makes Garnett special in a practice setting.

“There’s no way that’s going to happen. I think he has a teaching future. This [situation] is as organic as it could be. I just told him to come around and figure it out. Do whatever you want. Whatever he does, I’m good with, because I do think he can have a very positive impact on us.”

Special guest at practice today! ???? pic.twitter.com/tNOSdclgjZ

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) September 29, 2016

A leader throughout his career, Garnett took those responsibilities to new levels in his final year as a player as he helped to guide a young and talented Minnesota Timberwolves team through a season that was fraught with challenging situations.

ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan added to the lore of the 40-year-old’s tough love brand of mentorship with a story on his work in Minnesota last season and throughout his career, and some of the quotes from Minnesota’s younger players may understandably appeal to the Bucks.

Speaking of the KG experience, Andrew Wiggins remarked:

“As soon as he steps into the building, everyone feels they have to play at a higher level.”

The Bucks could certainly do with some of that motivation and standard setting, and there are reasons to believe it’s in play too.

Jason Kidd has shown a willingness to bring former players in for masterclass type sessions, such as John Stockton during training camp, and having coached Garnett in Brooklyn there’s certainly a pre-existing relationship between the two. That’s not to mention Garnett’s history of lining up alongside the likes of Jason Terry and Mirza Teletovic in the past.

Although it would seem as if all of Milwaukee’s young players could benefit from time learning alongside Garnett, for no player would that process seem more obviously beneficial than for Thon Maker.

Having often compared himself to Garnett pre-draft, including after his Bucks workout, Maker would seem to have the combination of physical tools and ability that would make him a perfect fit to be molded by KG.

Could Garnett pick a coaching role with the Bucks over some of his other options? Anything is possible.