Garnett attacks European players: “Flopping and little defense”
On the Ticket & The Truth podcast, Kevin Garnett dismantles the narrative that international players are superior to American ones
The debate between American and international players keeps heating up, and this time Kevin Garnett poured gasoline on the fire.
The Minnesota Timberwolves legend, speaking on the Ticket & The Truth podcast, pulled no punches in criticizing the impact of European and international players on today’s NBA. Garnett accused them of bringing flopping, constant complaining, and an overall inferior on-court product compared to the past.
Garnett’s comments came during a discussion with Paul Pierce, also tied to the new NBA All-Star Game format, which will indirectly pit American stars against international ones.
Garnett vs. Pierce: two opposing views of today’s NBA
Pierce had argued that international players are currently superior, pointing to two key factors:
- more structured youth development systems in Europe
- the absence of an American MVP since James Harden in 2018
A thesis Garnett firmly rejected, flipping the narrative entirely:
I hate this story that starting earlier means you’re better. They’re not offering a better product – that’s the point.
Kevin Garnett
For KG, the real difference still lies in the ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor – a requirement that, in his view, many international players fail to meet.
“They brought flopping and complaining”: Garnett’s harshest accusation
Garnett’s main target was flopping, a practice he considers foreign to the NBA of his era:
International players brought a lot of flopping into the game. I can’t stand it. Every play is a complaint to the referee. It wasn’t like that before.
Kevin Garnett
According to Garnett, the technical growth of some international talents has come with a drift toward embellishment and less competitive behavior, which he believes has distorted the league’s historical identity.
It’s an issue the NBA itself has addressed: since last season, flopping can be punished with a non-unsportsmanlike technical foul, a free throw for the opponents, and fines starting at $2,000, increasing in cases of repeat offenses.
The defensive question: “Ask them to play both ends”
Garnett also touched on a specific technical point: defense.
If you put them one-on-one, half of them can’t defend. Basketball has two sides.
Kevin Garnett
Not even Luka Doncic escaped scrutiny, despite Garnett acknowledging his offensive talent:
Ask him to hit a three and then defend full court. For everything he produces on offense, he gives up on defense.
Kevin Garnett
A comment that reflects Garnett’s basketball philosophy, shaped in an era when defensive impact was an essential part of superstar status.
All-Star Game 2025: internationals in the spotlight
The clash between basketball schools will inevitably form the backdrop of the NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles, scheduled for February 15 at the Intuit Dome. Among the confirmed starters are five international stars:
- Nikola Jokic (Denver)
- Luka Doncic (LA Lakers)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City)
- Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee)
A heavy international presence that seems to reinforce Pierce’s argument, but one that, according to Garnett, doesn’t tell the whole story:
Just because you come from around the world doesn’t mean you come from the league. If we line them up, Americans destroy them.
Kevin Garnett
A debate destined to continue
Kevin Garnett’s words divide, provoke, and make noise, but they hit on a real issue: the NBA is increasingly global, and the clash between styles, cultures, and interpretations of the game is inevitable. The underlying question remains open: has international basketball improved the NBA – or changed its soul?