NEW YORK, October 20 —Simon & Schuster announced today that it will publish KG A TO Z: AN UNCENSORED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF LIFE, BASKETBALL AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN by Kevin Garnett with David Ritz on February 16, 2021, ahead of his induction to the Basketball Hall of Fame in the spring and a forthcoming Showtime documentary.

In the book—which will be organized alphabetically as an encyclopedia—Garnett describes the adversity he faced growing up in South Carolina before relocating to Chicago, where he became one of the top prospects in the nation. He details his headline-making decision to skip college and become the first player in two decades to enter the pros directly from high school, starting a trend that would be followed by future superstars like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. He shares stories of playing with and against Bryant, James, Michael Jordan, and other National Basketball Association greats, and he chronicles the ups-and-downs of his illustrious twenty-one-year career, including winning a championship with the Boston Celtics. He also speaks his mind on a range of topics beyond basketball, including fame, family, racism, spirituality and music.

Says Garnett, “The words I write represent a triumph over struggle. I’m opening up about Kevin Garnett the player and the person—what it took to build that human being. I’m writing the kinda book I wanna read—a book that, like hoop, is filled with suspense, surprises, high drama and big fun.”

“From his decision to skip college to his ability to play the perimeter as a big man, Kevin forever changed the game of basketball. He applies that same innovative spirit to this book. If you thought he was exciting, inspiring and unfiltered on the court, just wait until you read these pages,” says Sean Manning, Executive Editor at Simon & Schuster, who acquired World and audio rights from David Vigliano, President, Vigliano Associates.

Kevin Garnett is one of the most accomplished players in the history of basketball. His achievements include a world championship with the Boston Celtics, an Olympic gold medal with Team USA, the regular-season MVP and Defensive Player of the Year awards (making him one of just five players to receive both honors in their career), fifteen NBA All-Star Game appearances, and an All-Star Game MVP award. He is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020. He has worked as a basketball analyst for TNT; had an acclaimed supporting role in the 2019 feature film Uncut Gems; and is the subject of a forthcoming Showtime documentary. In his post-NBA career, he has also trained some of the league’s leading young superstars.

David Ritz has collaborated with everyone from Ray Charles to Aretha Franklin to Willie Nelson. He’s a cowriter of Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing.”

Simon & Schuster, a ViacomCBS Company, is a global leader in general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for readers of all ages, and in all printed, digital and audio formats. Its distinguished roster of authors includes many of the world’s most popular and widely recognized writers, and winners of the most prestigious literary honors and awards. It is home to numerous well-known imprints and divisions such as Simon & Schuster, Scribner, Atria Books, Gallery Books, Pocket Books, Adams Media, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and Simon & Schuster Audio and international companies in Australia, Canada, India and the United Kingdom, and proudly brings the works of its authors to readers in more than 200 countries and territories. For more information visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com.

Contacts:
Julia Prosser, VP, Director of Publicity, 212-698-7529; Julia.Prosser@simonandschuster.com
Larry Hughes, Associate Director of Publicity, 212-632-4992; Larry.Hughes@simonandschuster.com