New owner stands to get the $48M Malibu mansion that Kevin Garnett once owned — but never lived in

This Malibu house still has game — and plenty of avocados to spare. 

A modern beach residence that NBA legend Kevin Garnett commissioned — but never lived in — is back on the market after a four-year renovation, asking a cool $48 million. 

Mansion Global was the first to report the listing.

The ultra-modern residence, at 27715 Pacific Coast Highway, features a large infinity pool, wide ocean views and, yes, no fewer than 50 avocado trees.

It’s also part of a small, ultra-exclusive blufftop stretch of the highway that is one of the most compressed high-net-worth corridors in the country.   

Beyoncé and Jay-Z paid a record $200 million for their similar sized estate in 2023, at 27712 Pacific Coast Highway in an all-cash deal, while billionaire Marc Andreessen paid $177 million for his estate, which also sits on around 7 acres, at 27740 Pacific Coast Highway in 2021.  

Garnett’s former home is on 6.74 acres, a triple lot, standing adjacent to an equestrian center.

One of the three lots that is part of the sale is currently vacant, comes with its own address, and could be used to build a second home or perhaps a family compound, brokers said.

At 11,000 square feet, the six bedroom mansion feels more like a year-round home than a weekend beach retreat — and it comes back to market as more folks are making Malibu their permanent residence, brokers added. 

Garnett had purchased the property for $6.4 million back in 2003, when he was with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

But he never completed his dream house and ended up selling it in 2021, which is where the story gets messy. 

Garnett, known as one of the NBA’s greatest power forwards, agreed to sell the home, unfinished, to Ando Hacopian of Hacopian Design & Development Group for $16 million in 2021. As part of the deal, Hacopian agreed to cover Garnett’s closing costs and prior leans, leaving Garnett with $6 million, including $2 million in cash at closing, according to the Real Deal.

But Hacopian, Garnett alleged, didn’t have the funds to close.

Garnett filed a lawsuit against Hacopian alleging fraud, followed by a second lawsuit against the title and escrow companies.

Vladimir Valsky, CEO of VIG Private Lending, who held senior debt on the property, took ownership in 2022, the Real Deal reported. Valsky then hired Swiss architect Roger Kurath, of LA-based Design 21, to overhaul the design, gut renovate and meet new fire codes.

Kurath, whose celebrity clients have included Gene Simmons and Kathy Griffin, spent the next four years upgrading the property, built with materials including fiber cement, stucco and aluminum windows.

In addition, Kurath also oversaw the home’s interior design, furniture and art curation.

A long driveway leads to the gated home, where glass doors open to a large foyer with 21-foot-high ceilings. 

The residence is anchored by a large chef’s kitchen with a wine fridge.

Three “guest suites” have 10-foot-high ceilings, custom closets and ensuite baths — while the upstairs main bedroom suite includes a projector, a spa-like bath, an expansive terrace and views from the landscaped garden to the Pacific Ocean. 

Outside there’s a 65-by-30-foot infinity pool. 

There’s also a pickleball court, a barbecue area, and a home theater and gym. A separate structure on the property works as a yoga or art studio.

The listing brokers are Tomer Fridman and Aaron Kirman of Christie’s International Real Estate Southern California, and Chris Cortazzo of Compass.