Reflecting on Kevin Garnett’s Timberwolves Career After Jersey Retirement

Kevin Garnett's jersey retirement by the Minnesota Timberwolves was a long time coming, but after years of waiting after Garnett finished his NBA career with his second stint with the Timberwolves in 2016, he will finally have his number 21 pulled into the rafters of Target Center to be immortalized forever. 

In the grand scheme of Kevin Garnett's career, he may be best remembered by the casual fan as a member of the Boston Celtics considering he won the 2008 NBA Finals with the Celtics against the Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles Lakers while teamed up with players like Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo, but that doesn't mean his contributions in Minnesota should be left forgotten. 

Garnett may be the most iconic player in Timberwolves history, even if Anthony Edwards may come for the crown one day. 

 Kevin Garnett arrives for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement at Symphony Hall Springfield. David Butler II-Imagn ImagesGarnett's Legacy

Drafted in 1995, Garnett put the Timberwolves on a map as a franchise less than a decade after they were founded, earning 10 All-Star selections and the 2004 MVP in his first 12 seasons with the team and the star power that Garnett had and the reputation that he built for himself and his team in his time was a huge part in giving the Timberwolves legitimacy as a team.

He rules the Timberwolves' record books as the all-time leader in games played, points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals and the way that he became an icon in the NBA and asserted himself as one of the game's best players while wearing the Timberwolves jersey is an impact that cannot be overstated. 

 Kevin Garnett is honored during halftime in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. David Richard-USA TODAY SportsGrowing the Game in Minnesota

Garnett became an icon for the Timberwolves in an era where they were still trying to get their feet off the ground and by doing so, he cemented himself into the hearts of fans in Minnesota that have since grown up and continued on their legacy of fandom for the next generation, leading directly into the exciting era of today headlined by players like Edwards, Rudy Gobert and LaMelo Ball. 

 Class of 2020 inductee Kevin Garnett speaks during the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement ceremony at Mohegan Sun Arena. David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

There may be no player more deserving of having their jersey retired by a team that hadn't already received the honor and now the Timberwolves are remedying that error by honoring Garnett on Feb. 28, 2027. 

That day will be a massive one for the history of the Timberwolves as their greatest player, one who began and ended his Hall of Fame career in the Twin Cities, receives the honor that he so deeply deserves.