Timberwolves to retire Kevin Garnett's No. 21 jersey

The Minnesota Timberwolves are set to retire the jersey of Kevin Garnett, widely considered the greatest player in franchise history. The number 21 will be honored on February 28 when the Timberwolves host the Boston Celtics, another of Garnett's former teams.

The team announced the ceremony will be the centerpiece of a season-long celebration recognizing Garnett's "extraordinary impact on the Timberwolves, the state of Minnesota, and an entire generation of basketball fans." Garnett, 50, becomes the second player in Timberwolves history to have his jersey retired, following Malik Sealy, who died in a car accident in 2000.

A Hall of Famer, Garnett led the Timberwolves to eight consecutive playoff appearances from 1997 to 2004. He remains the franchise's all-time leader in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. He is also the only player in team history to win the NBA Most Valuable Player award, which he achieved in the 2003-04 season. After 12 seasons with Minnesota, Garnett was traded to the Celtics in 2007, where he won his only NBA championship in 2008.

While the Celtics retired his number 5 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. "Retiring number 21 is the ultimate recognition of everything he has meant to this franchise and our fans," they stated.