Timberwolves to retire Kevin Garnett's No. 21 jersey

The Minnesota Timberwolves announced on Friday that they will retire former player Kevin Garnett's No. 21 jersey on February 28 next year, before a home game against the Boston Celtics.

This will be the second jersey retirement of Garnett's NBA career — his No. 5 was already retired by the Boston Celtics in March 2022, the team he joined after leaving Minnesota.

Return to Minnesota

Last December, Garnett returned to his first NBA club, becoming an ambassador for the Timberwolves. This past April, he visited Target Center for the first time since retiring as a player in 2016. Garnett said Minnesota has always been home to him, and that seeing his number raised to the rafters alongside fans, his family, former teammates and coaches means a great deal to him.

Garnett had been estranged from the organization for years following a dispute with former owner Glen Taylor, and had previously declined to have his number retired until he built a good relationship with the club's new owners, Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez.

Franchise leader

Garnett is the Timberwolves' all-time leading scorer and also leads the franchise in rebounds, assists, steals and blocked shots — making him the only NBA player ever to lead a franchise in all five of those statistical categories.

Garnett was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 and was named the NBA's Most Valuable Player for the 2003-04 season. He led the Timberwolves to eight consecutive playoff appearances, including a run to the Western Conference finals in 2004.

Garnett's number will be only the second retired by the Timberwolves in franchise history, following Malik Sealy's No. 2.