The Minnesota Timberwolves will retire the number 21 jersey of franchise legend Kevin Garnett on February 28 when they host the Boston Celtics.
Minnesota confirmed in an official statement on Friday that the ceremony would serve as the centerpiece of a season-long celebration honoring Garnett's extraordinary impact on the team, the state of Minnesota, and a generation of basketball fans.
The 50-year-old former power forward will become only the second player in franchise history to receive the honor. The Timberwolves previously retired the number 2 jersey of forward Malik Sealy following his death in a traffic accident in 2000.
Career history and franchise records
Garnett, a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, guided Minnesota to eight consecutive NBA playoff appearances between 1997 and 2004. He remains the all-time franchise leader for the Timberwolves in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots.
He is also the only player in team history to win the NBA Most Valuable Player award, capturing the honor for the 2003-04 regular season. Following his initial 12 seasons in Minnesota, Garnett was traded in 2007 to the Boston Celtics, where he won his sole NBA championship ring in 2008.
Jersey retirements represent an organization's highest honor for former players, permanently removing a number from rotation and raising a banner in the team's home arena. The Timberwolves, founded in 1989, play their home games at Target Center in Minneapolis.
Ownership relationship and Celtics tribute
The Boston Celtics retired Garnett's number 5 jersey during a ceremony in 2022. However, Garnett remained estranged for years from former Timberwolves majority owner Glen Taylor, delaying any similar tribute in Minnesota.
The situation resolved following a change in team leadership. New Timberwolves co-owners Alex Rodriguez, the former Major League Baseball star, and businessman Marc Lore issued a statement on Friday expressing their appreciation for Garnett. Rodriguez and Lore said that retiring number 21 represented the ultimate recognition of everything Garnett had meant to the franchise and its fans.
