Before Kevin Garnett's arrival with the Timberwolves in 1995, Minnesota was arguably not a basketball state at any level — pro, high school or college.
The Timberwolves, only in their seventh season as an NBA franchise, never had a winning record. The Gophers men's and women's basketball programs hadn't made their magical Final Four runs yet. And the state's high school hoops scene was a tiny blip on the national radar.
Garnett, who will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday, captured the sports world's imagination with his successful preps-to-pros leap. At 6 feet 11, his talent to play inside and out brought a different style for a big man.