The Minnesota Timberwolves have announced plans to retire Kevin Garnett’s number 21 jersey when the team plays the Boston Celtics on February 28th.
The ceremony will mark the second time that Garnett has had his jersey retired, with the first coming back in March of 2022 when the Boston Celtics hung his number 5 in the rafters at TD Garden. The 15x All-Star and the Timberwolves had a frosty relationship after the trade that sent him to Boston due to a falling out with then owner Glen Taylor.
It wasn’t until new ownership came in during the 2021 season that the relationship began to ameliorate, with KG eventually making his first appearance at the Target Center in April. Garnett has since reunited with his former club and is working as a team ambassador under the guidance of team governors Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore.
“Minnesota is home. That’s never changed. This is where it all started for me, so seeing No. 21 go up in Target Center and sharing that moment with the fans, my family, teammates, coaches, and everyone who’s been part of this journey means everything,” Garnett said in a statement. “But I don’t see this as the end – I see it as a new beginning. Retiring the jersey is just the start of the next chapter in Minnesota, about building something that lives beyond the game. … I can’t wait to be back in that building, feel that energy, and celebrate it with everybody. Let’s get it.”
Garnett is the franchise leader in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, and is the only player in NBA history to lead a team in all five of those categories. The 2020 Hall of Fame inductee is also the only player in Timberwolves history to be win an MVP having done so during the 2003-04 NBA season.
“Bringing Kevin back to the organization as Team Ambassador has allowed us to celebrate his legacy in a new and meaningful way, and retiring No. 21 is the ultimate recognition of everything he has meant to this franchise and our fans,” Lore and Rodriguez said in a statement. “We are thrilled to celebrate this incredible moment with Kevin, his family, our fans and everyone who helped make his legacy possible.”
The 50 year old becomes just the second player in Minnesota franchise history to have his number retired by the team, joining Malik Sealy’s number 2 in the rafters. Sealy was killed in a car crash in May of 2000 and was honoured by the club posthumously as a result.
Photo: Bradley P. Johnson. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.