Kevin Garnett became an NBA legend with the Boston Celtics. He won a title in his first year with the Green Team in 2008 and cemented his Hall of Fame case by putting together six productive seasons in Boston. And while many Celtics fans can only picture the big man in green and white, some of Garnett's best basketball took place in years prior with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Big Ticket became MVP in 2004 as part of the Timberwolves and, that same season, helped bring his squad all the way to the Western Conference Finals, where they eventually fell to Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in six games. The 1995 first-round draft pick made a name for himself in the "Land of 10,000 Lakes" and is arguably the greatest player to ever suit up for the T-Wolves.
However, due to a feud with former Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, Garnett's jersey was never raised into the rafters. With Taylor no longer in charge, Minnesota is finally righting that wrong.
"The Minnesota Timberwolves announced (on Friday) that franchise legend and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett’s iconic No. 21 jersey will be retired on Feb. 28, 2027, following the team’s game against the Boston Celtics on NBC’s Sunday Night Basketball at Target Center," an official press release from the Timberwolves read.
It's only fitting that the Celtics will be in attendance for Garnett's jersey retirement, as they retired his No. 5 in 2022. The Timberwolves should've bestowed this honor on the 15-time All-Star beforehand, but — as the saying goes — it's better late than never.
As for the game that'll take place that night, it could mark the start of one of the Celtics' most difficult stretches of the 2026-27 regular season. The Timberwolves, who employ superstar guard Anthony Edwards and traded for star point guard LaMelo Ball this offseason, should be a contender in the Western Conference.
After the C's celebrate Garnett in Minneapolis, they have to face the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons on the road before coming home to host the Philadelphia 76ers. All of the aforementioned teams could be major players in the Eastern Conference, so this post-All-Star Break run should show us what the Celtics are made of.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Timberwolves set to retire Kevin Garnett number when Celtics visit in February
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