Dramatic new LED lighting at Target Center promises to help deliver a slam-dunk experience for basketball fans.
Fresh off advancing to the Western Conference finals last season for only the second time in franchise history, the Timberwolves are hoping to make an even deeper run this season, and they have a new lighting system that could help.
Under new owners Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore, the Wolves have upgraded this key technical element at Target Center, which is the NBA’s second-oldest arena, with the aim of improving player performance and the fan experience by boosting the energy of both.
The new Musco Sports Lighting system, which fans will see in person and on TV for the first time during Sunday’s home opener against the Indiana Pacers, is meant to make the game a more absorbing and lit experience.
“This lighting design enhances the big-game feel while preserving the close bond between the team and our fans, bringing energy, focus and a sense of spectacle to every Timberwolves and Lynx game,” said Matt Caldwell, CEO of the Musco franchises.
St. Paul’s Ordway Center installed a new, upgraded lighting system over the summer at its main stage, and fans of its Broadway shows noticed right away the immediacy and intimacy that the lights brought.
Lighting closed the distance between the stage and the audience and heightened the mood and atmosphere.
“We can literally paint the stage with lights,” president and CEO Chris Harrington said.