A meeting that would define a generation.
On February 24, 1998, future Hall of Famers Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett met for the first time in the NBA as the San Antonio Spurs edged the Minnesota Timberwolves, 105-99.
Duncan entered the league that season as the #1 overall pick in the NBA draft, while Garnett was in his third season. with the Timberwolves after being selected with the #5 pick in the 1995 NBA draft.
Watch the game below:
Duncan filled it up with 28 points, 19 rebounds, three assists, and a block, going head-to-head with Garnett, who recorded 25 points, 11 rebounds, one assist, four steals, and a block.
The Spurs legend held a 27-17 overall record against Garnett in the regular season and won six of their eight matchups in the playoffs.
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— NBA (@NBA) April 12, 2020
"What a matchup we're gonna have tonight at Power Forward!" #20HoopClass pic.twitter.com/Mutoy3gpmO
Their first meeting was a foreshadowing of a power forward rivalry that would last nearly two decades, with both Duncan and Garnett elected for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, alongside Kobe Bryant in 2020.