KG’s Return to Target Center is Here; Jersey Retirement Coming Soon

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Kevin Garnett - Minnesota Timberwolves
Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Timberwolves are in action Friday night in Philly. It’s the second game of a back-to-back that started Thursday in Detroit with a loss to East-leading Detroit.

Up 4.5 games on 7-seed Phoenix, with just six games remaining, the Wolves’ magic number is at 2, entering this evening’s contest for the 42-34 Sixers.

By the time Minnesota’s April 12 regular season finale at Target Center rolls around, Minnesota will already be a playoff team. While they may not have anyTHING to play for that night, they will have someONE in the stands worth impressing.

Kevin Garnett returning to Target Center

According to a Timberwolves press release that dropped Friday morning, franchise legend Kevin Garnett will make his return to Target Center on Sunday, April 12, for Fan Appreciation Night against the New Orleans Pelicans. It will be KG’s first time inside the arena that raised him since 2018.

Minneapolis/St. Paul – The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced that on April 12, Team Ambassador Kevin Garnett will make his first appearance at Target Center since 2018 as part of Fan Appreciation Night, when the team hosts the New Orleans Pelicans in its regular-season finale. The most iconic player in franchise history returns to the Twin Cities for a special night, kicking off his long-awaited reunification with the organization and following the announcement of his role as Team Ambassador earlier this season.

Minnesota Timberwolves press release

Minnesota Timberwolves owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez are pulling out all the stops for Garnett’s return.

Multiple former teammates will also be in the house next Sunday, as will 90’s R&B legend, Montell Jordan, to perform his all-time banger, “This is How We Do It”. Fans will also have opportunities throughout the night for “in-game experiences and giveaways.”

Related: Anthony Edwards Loses Award Eligibility

But the most notable part of today’s announcement isn’t Garnett’s return next weekend. Instead, it was the mention of his imminent jersey retirement ceremony, something Wolves fans have been waiting for since he first hung up his sneakers, after the 2015-16 NBA season.

Unfortunately, due to a falling out with former Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, Garnett refused to step foot in Target Center, let alone hang his jersey in the rafters.

KG’s Minnesota Timberwolves jersey retirement confirmed for 2026-27

So as soon as Taylor was replaced with Lore and A-Rod, we knew it was just a matter of time before No. 21 was raised up. While today’s release didn’t give an exact date for Garnett’s jersey-raising ceremony, they do confirm that it will happen at some point during the 2026-27 NBA season.

The release also notes that access to KG’s 2026-27 jersey retirement ceremony can be purchased at at Timberwolves.com.

During the 2026–27 NBA season, the Timberwolves will honor Garnett’s enduring impact by raising his No. 21 jersey in the rafters at Target Center, with ceremony details to be announced at a later date.

As excitement builds around Garnett’s return and the Timberwolves fifth-straight trip to the postseason, fans can secure their seats for the April 12 reunion by visiting Timberwolves.com/tickets and the best playoff seats and guarantee access to Garnett’s jersey retirement game with a 2026-27 Membership at Timberwolves.com/memberships.

Minnesota Timberwolves press release

Kevin Garnett returning to where it all began with MN Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves selected Kevin Garnett with the No. 5 overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft, as an 18-year-old kid out of Farragut Career Academy High School in Chicago, an unprecedented move, at the time.

Garnett played 14 seasons as a Wolf, before he was traded to the Boston Celtics following the 2006-07 season. In Minnesota, KG won the 2004 NBA MVP award went to 10 All-Star Games and got All-NBA first team honors three times. Don’t forget his 8 NBA All-Defensive Teams, either.

Until Anthony Edwards catches him (in many categories), Kevin Garnett will remain the Minnesota Timberwolves’ all-time leader in points, rebounds, steals, blocks, games played and minutes. Garnett went on to win the NBA Finals in Boston (2008) and he was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020.

“Kevin Garnett has always represented the heart and intensity of this franchise,” said Timberwolves & Lynx Co‑Chairmen Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez. “The energy he generates is unmistakable, and welcoming him home to Target Center is a moment our fans have been eagerly anticipating.”

Minnesota Timberwolves press release
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