Minnesota Timberwolves: Top 5 steals leaders in team history

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Lakers Kobe Bryant tries to steal the ball from Timberwolves Kevin Garnett in the second quater in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in Minneapolis Friday. (Photo by Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) /

1. Kevin Garnett

No list is complete without the Big Ticket himself. Kevin Garnett holds almost every possible Timberwolves franchise record, and many of them are not even close. His steal total is an astonishing 1315, which is almost double Ricky Rubio’s 747 steals.

Garnett’s statistical dominance can be attributed to him playing fourteen seasons for the Timberwolves, but his sheer talent in every area of the game is more responsible. As a power forward, he still averaged 1.4 steals per game over his time as a Timberwolf, which is a very high number for a big man.

Garnett’s defensive excellence in the low post often led to his steals. His gritty, no holds barred play style on defense allowed him to intercept passes going into big men or pick the pockets of unsuspecting players trying to post up. Garnett would put his body on the line on every play to make sure the opposing team did not get close to the basket.

This attitude and effort resulted in KG winning NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2008 and being named to 12 NBA all-defensive teams over the course of his career. However the most valuable individual award that Garnett won was the MVP award in 2004 when he averaged over 24 points per game, 14 rebounds per game, 5 assists per game, and 1.5 steals per game for the Wolves.

Next: Minnesota Timberwolves: Top 5 block leaders in franchise history

Although Garnett left for the Celtics to win a championship, he is still regarded as the greatest Timberwolves player of all time.

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