Timberwolves to Retire Kevin Garnett's No. 21 Jersey

The Minnesota Timberwolves are set to retire the No. 21 jersey of Kevin Garnett, widely regarded as the greatest player in the franchise's history. The ceremony will take place on February 28 when the Boston Celtics, another of Garnett's former teams, visit Minnesota.

In a statement released Friday, the Timberwolves announced that the jersey retirement will be the centerpiece of a season-long celebration honoring Garnett's "extraordinary impact on the Timberwolves, the state of Minnesota, and an entire generation of basketball fans." Garnett will be the second player in Timberwolves history to have his jersey retired, following Malik Sealy, whose No. 2 was retired in 2000 after his tragic death in a car accident.

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will be the centerpiece of a celebration that will unfold throughout the season in honor of Garnett's extraordinary impact on the Timberwolves, the state of Minnesota, and an entire generation of basketball fans.

Garnett, a Hall of Famer, was instrumental in leading the Timberwolves to eight consecutive playoff appearances between 1997 and 2004. He remains the franchise leader in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. Furthermore, he is the only player in team history to have won the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, which he achieved during the 2003-04 season.

After spending his first 12 seasons with Minnesota, Garnett was traded to the Boston Celtics in 2007, where he won his sole NBA championship in 2008. While the Celtics retired his No. 5 jersey in 2022, Garnett had a years-long estrangement from the Timberwolves' previous owner, Glen Taylor. The new ownership group, including former baseball star Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore, expressed their excitement, stating that retiring No. 21 is the "ultimate recognition of everything he has meant to this franchise and our fans."

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retiring the number 21 is the ultimate recognition of everything he has meant to this franchise and our fans.