The date is finally set, and Kevin Garnett’s jersey will soon hang in the Target Center rafters.
The official celebration is slated for Feb. 28, when Minnesota hosts Boston on national television. Boston is, of course, the team the Wolves dealt Garnett to in 2007. Garnett won his lone NBA title with the Celtics the following season. His No. 5 jersey has already been retired by Boston.
Minnesota has long waited for the opportunity to honor its best player in franchise history in the same manner. And only after majority ownership transferred from Glen Taylor to Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez did the door crack open for such a celebration.
But it still took time, as Minnesota had to iron out a financial agreement to bring Garnett back into the organizational fold. Garnett attended one game last season after becoming an official team ambassador
“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 release. “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’m excited to bring art, culture and creativity back to this city in a real way — not just one night, but year-round.”
Garnett said he wants to “help build something fans can feel all year long” that connects the past present and future of the franchise.
Minnesota will do that in a sense during the upcoming season. Along with the jersey retirement, the Wolves plan to host Garnett “theme nights” throughout the campaign that commemorate various highlights of his career, from being drafted to winning League MVP during the 2003-04 season and reaching the 2004 Western Conference Finals. It’s unclear if Garnett will be in attendance for all five of those contests.
Garnett’s No. 21 jersey will join that of his close friend, Malik Sealy, whose No. 2 jersey was lifted after the guard died in a car accident in 2000.
“Over the course of his career, Kevin Garnett became much more than the greatest player in Timberwolves history. He became the embodiment of what it means to compete, to lead and to represent Minnesota,” Rodriguez and Lore said in a release. “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. We are thrilled to celebrate this incredible moment with Kevin, his family, our fans and everyone who helped make his legacy possible.”