``It's like all of us making it.''
Baron "Bear" Franks
Kevin Garnett was 12 when he moved to Basswood Drive in Mauldin, S.C. Minus the magnolia trees, it could be the Highland neighborhood in St. Paul: brick ramblers on hilly streets, two-car garages, landscaped yards.
Kevin was one of about 10 teen-agers who grew up together in the neighborhood. The oldest, Baron ``Bear'' Franks, still claims he is ``king of the street.''
``I got to -- that's all I got to hold on to,'' he says, smiling and revealing dimples above a short, scruffy beard. ``Kevin's got Minnesota and the NBA.''
Franks is 6-4 and weighs 290 pounds. He's wearing a cap on his big head, nylon athletic pants and a black shirt with a Nike symbol. Kevin's shirt.
``We get all the good Nike stuff from him,'' he says, grinning again.
Franks studied business administration for three years in college and now works for Crucible Chemical in Greenville, where he helps make ingredients for Mop & Glo, ArmorAll tire cleaner and the foaming agent for Corona beer. He's 5 years older than Kevin, played basketball at Mauldin High and held the rebound record there until Kevin broke it.
Kevin was 5-10 when Franks first met him, ``a lanky kid with no skills,'' Franks says.
But the kid was fixated on basketball.
``All he did was talk about basketball. And every time you saw him, he had a ball. Sun up. Sun down. Up and down the street. All day long.''
In the summer, the boys on Basswood Drive liked to sleep late -- until 11 a.m. or noon. But not Kevin.
``This is a guy who would lay down at 3 a.m. and then be up at 9 a.m. to play ball. He would think everyone else had to get up, too. And whoever did get up to play with him played all day. I mean, I liked basketball, too. But not like he did.''
Kevin was obsessed with improving his skills. He talked about playing college ball, becoming a pro. Franks, who was both older and bigger, responded by pounding him on the court.
``I didn't do him no favors. I gave him all I had. And sometimes, I'd take a rebound and bounce it off his head or something. And I gave him a lot of noise. I'd tell him, `I'm in control, controlling the game. I have you in my pocket.' ''
Franks says Kevin later confessed he more than once wondered if Franks liked him.
``But I always have,'' Franks says.
Kevin had a tremendous appetite, seemingly boundless energy and growing pains. He sometimes mentioned his bones hurt. He grew a foot taller during his high school years, and his playing didn't always keep pace with his growth.
``I remember one day, at the park, when the guys were saying he was 6-feet-6 and couldn't dunk,'' Franks says. ``But every year, he improved dramatically. I never seen anything like it.
``He was always looking for a father figure to tell him about basketball, and that's how he bonded with us older guys,'' Franks adds.
``Kevin was happy-go-lucky, polite, always greeted people. But every time I saw his stepfather, it was like walking on eggshells. I think Kevin felt he was better off not being around his stepfather.
``I can't ever remember Kevin saying, `Me and my stepdad did this or did that.' There wasn't a whole lot of love there.''
Basketball served as Kevin's ``getaway,'' Franks concluded.
``When he was lonely, he grabbed that ball,'' Franks says. ``When he wanted to get out of the house, get away and not think about some things, he played ball.''
 


                                                                                             Playing at Mauldin High