By David Aldridge, The Athletic
LAS VEGAS — If he had an unlimited budget — a Steven Spielberg-esque budget — Kevin Garnett would go in any number of directions cinematically.
“My friend, his nickname is Waterhead,” Garnett began on the phone before beginning again, perhaps contemplating what kind of project could best explain Waterhead’s life. “I would like to have a ‘Narcos,’ kind of — well, I watch a lot of documentaries. One of my favorite documentaries is ‘The Men Who Built America.’ It’s five to six different people: Carnegie, Vanderbilt, names that we would know, Rockefeller. A bunch of names from yesteryear that made the jump, have made the way. …
The Hall of Famer is determined to be as great in the storytelling space through his Content Kings Studios production company as he was during his 21-year NBA career — highlighted by a 2008 title with the Boston Celtics, as well as being one of only five players in league history to win both the league’s Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year awards. (The others were Michael Jordan, David Robinson, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Hakeem Olajuwon — the only player to win both in the same season.)
Garnett is now looking to give current players a chance to branch out into telling their own stories – through movies, podcasts, streaming and other entertainment options. And he’ll do that this week at NBA Summer League, as part of the second annual Summer League Film Festival. Garnett is listed as a co-host for the event, which runs Thursday through Saturday at the Thomas and Mack Center, the annual co-home for Summer League games, along with the connected Cox Pavilion.
