Timberwolves to retire Kevin Garnett’s number next season

Kevin Garnett's reunion with the Minnesota Timberwolves will include the long-awaited retirement of the Hall of Fame forward's No. 21 jersey.

The team announced Friday that Garnett will make his first appearance at Target Center in eight years on April 12, part of fan appreciation night for the regular-season finale against the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Timberwolves also confirmed that they will honor Garnett, 49, by raising his jersey to the rafters at some point in the 2026-27 season.

Minnesota announced earlier this season that Garnett was returning to the organization as a team ambassador under new owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez. He had endured a frosty relationship with the team for nearly a decade, in part due to former owner Glen Taylor's refusal to retire the 15-time All-Star's jersey.

"I can't wait to come home," Garnett said. "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, drafted by Minnesota directly out of high school with the No. 5 overall pick in 1995, is the Timberwolves' all-time leader in points (19,201), rebounds (10,718), assists (4,216), steals (1,315), blocks (1,590) and games played (970). He is the only NBA player to rank No. 1 in all those categories for a franchise.

Garnett was the NBA's Most Valuable Player in 2003-04 and guided the Timberwolves to eight straight postseason appearances from 1996-97 to 2003-04.

"Kevin Garnett has always represented the heart and intensity of this franchise," owners Lore and Rodriguez said in a statement. "The energy he generates is unmistakable, and welcoming him home to Target Center is a moment our fans have been eagerly anticipating."

Garnett departed after the 2006-07 season and won an NBA championship in his first season with the Boston Celtics in 2007-08. He returned to Minnesota in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 19, 2015, and announced his retirement on Sept. 23, 2016.

The Celtics retired Garnett's No. 5 jersey on March 13, 2022.

Garnett was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2020.