Julius Randle had to grab his phone to text his wife, Kendra, immediately after his warmups Sunday night prior to Minnesota’s home opener against Indiana.
“The lighting is sick,” he messaged.
Jaylen Clark has a hard time spotting his mom and girlfriend in the Target Center crowd these days. All eyes, and attention, are now firmly planted on the court for participants and viewers alike.
Anthony Edwards shoots
Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves shoots the ball against Isaiah Jackson of the Indiana Pacers in the first quarter during the home opener at Target Center on Oct. 26, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the first game played under Target Center's new stage lighting. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Minnesota debuted new stage lighting at Target Center this week, a feature that will be utilized at all Timberwolves home games this season. The setup spotlights the action on the court while only otherwise illuminating the first few rows of fans. Everyone else is shrouded in darkness.
It’s a similar effect to that of Madison Square Garden for Knicks games, and Crypto.Com Arena’s setup for Lakers contests. Randle has called both arenas home during his career, and noted the new Target Center situation reminds him of his time in Los Angeles.
“It was cool as hell,” he said. “Kudos to the new ownership group for making that change.”
Indeed, Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez — who completed the transition to majority ownership in the offseason — drove the bus on the innovation, much like they did with the on-rim microphones over the past couple seasons.
The lighting system also allows the arena to bathe the stands with green and blue at various points in the contest, and red, white and blue during the national anthem.
It’s another update that seems to renew an aging building.
Wolves forward Naz Reid said the lighting makes the games feel “like cinema.”
“It just made it seem like we were playing in a movie when we were out there,” Randle said. “I really can’t see anything in the crowd. I’m pretty locked into what’s going on on the court. You definitely feel the energy. It’s a little bit more moody, has a bit more edge to it. So, it’s cool.”
Donte DiVincenzo shoots
Donte DiVincenzo of the Minnesota Timberwolves shoots the ball against Tre Jones of the San Antonio Spurs in the third quarter at Target Center on Dec. 29, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the season before the team installed the arena's new lighting system. The Timberwolves defeated the Spurs 112-110. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Clark said the lighting only enhances an atmosphere he’s bragged about for years. The California native noted Minnesota was “just kind of, like, somewhere in the middle of the map” to him while growing up. But he now tells everyone back home about the passion people in this state have for their sports teams.
“In L.A, … you’re just there for the show and you go home,” Clark said. “Here, people actually care about it. They breathe and bleed Vikings, Timberwolves, Twins. So, it’s just super dope, man. I’ve had a great time since I’ve been here.”
That passion has been palpable at Timberwolves home games in recent years. Minnesota ranked in the top 10 in the NBA in attendance last season, its first time doing so since ESPN started tracking such data in 2001.
Timberwolves fans have generated one of the NBA’s loudest home-court environments to coincide with Minnesota’s ascension up the Western Conference ranks.
Now the setting matches the standard delivered by the players and fans. Wolves home games have become a big deal in Minneapolis. Now, it feels like it the moment you step into the bowl.
“Which,” Reid said, “is beautiful.”