Rejoice, Minnesota Timberwolves fans, because the greatest player in franchise history is officially coming back. Kevin Garnett will make his return to Target Center on April 12, the team announced Friday.
It will mark Garnett’s first appearance at the venue since 2018, per the team. The Timberwolves will take on the New Orleans Pelicans in the contest, which is the final game of the regular season.
Garnett said he couldn’t wait to make that appearance.
“I can’t wait to come home,” said Garnett. “Coming back for me is about what’s next. I’ve spent time with Marc and Alex, and you can feel the difference. The energy is real. The vision is real. They’re building something that lasts, with a team on the court that’s hungry to win. I’m excited to be back in the building with the fans. Minnesota, let’s go!”
Garnett reuniting with the franchise shouldn’t come as a major surprise, as the team announced he had re-joined the franchise in a new role in December. While the Timberwolves announced Garnett would eventually have his number retired back then, it did not provide specifics on when that would happen.
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By win shares, Garnett is far and away the greatest player in Timberwolves history. The center averaged 19.8 points and 11.0 rebounds per game in 14 seasons with the franchise. He was a perennial contender for both the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year award during his time with the team. Garnett did eventually win an MVP award with the Timberwolves during the 2003-04 NBA season. His Defensive Player of the Year award came when Garnett was a member of the Boston Celtics.
Despite leading the Timberwolves to the playoffs multiple times, Garnett was never able to secure a championship in Minnesota. He eventually did reach that milestone, but it came after a trade to the Celtics.
That trade was the result of mounting frustration from Garnett, who kept performing well despite the team’s poor record.
At some point, Garnett’s relationship with former Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor soured. Garnett has never gone into specifics on what transpired, though told ESPN’s Shams Charania, “I won’t forgive Glen,” in 2020.
“Glen knows where I’m at, I’m not entertaining it. First of all, it’s not genuine. Two, he’s getting pressure from a lot of fans and, I guess, the community there. Glen and I had an understanding before Flip died, and when Flip died, that understanding went with Flip. For that, I won’t forgive Glen. I won’t forgive him for that. I thought he was a straight-up person, straight-up business man, and when Flip died, everything went with him.”
There were rumors Flip Saunders wanted to bring Garnett back to the Timberwolves following his playing career, but those never came to fruition following Saunders’ death in 2015. That seems to have played a role in Garnett’s frustration with Taylor.
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But with Taylor out of the picture after selling the team, the door was open for Garnett’s return. Garnett reportedly has a close relationship with new team owners Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore, which paved the way for Garnett’s new role with the franchise.
Given Garnett’s excellence — and his long-time feud — Timberwolves fans will almost certainly give him an enthusiastic reception when he makes his return April 12.
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