In 2023-24, the Wolves will wear “Classic Edition” uniforms that travel back to 1989, when the franchise made their NBA debut at the Metrodome and a howling wolf named “Old Shep” was their logo. Soak in the beauty, Wolves fans.

New Minnesota Timberwolves Throwback Uniforms are perfect

The Wolves are hyping up the throwback release as part of the franchise’s 35th anniversary season. They will be worn for a whopping 1/4 of the team’s schedule (21 games). They’ll be worn for 11 home games, including a debut date of November 8 at Target Center (vs the Pelicans), which is the 35th anniversary of their franchise debut in 1989.

Related: Minnesota Timberwolves schedule 2023: TV, channel, and more

It comes with a brand new throwback court that looks downright delicious. They absolutely knocked these uniforms out of the park. I’m glad they went all white instead of the home blues. Goddamn these are sexy and the court is just as impressive. I cannot type enough good things. Home run.

The original uniforms were worn from 1989-1996. They were worn by Christian Laettner, Isiaah Rider, Tom Gugliotta and even Kevin Garnett. They were worn in a time of excitement and basketball energy around the state of Minnesota that hadn’t been felt since the Lakers left 3 decades earlier.

It was before the team’s look and demeanor took on a much more serious, yet still iconic, look. The uniforms most NBA fans remember KG for most. Those featured a more serious, scarier-looking Timberwolf, instead of Old Shep, which fit for the win-now playoff mindset starting to develop around their young new leader.

But these are the OG’s that never really went out of style. To this day, much of the best looking Minnesota Timberwolves gear included Old Shep and the bright green accents over the royal blue and white. Well done, Wolves. Well done.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Pants have the classic purple and gold stripe. Helmets are basic matte purple with a glossy-type finish and an early version of the Vikings’ iconic white horn and yellow crescent base.

Oh the beauty pic.twitter.com/UK3sX9NlxT

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) July 18, 2023

They're back ???????? pic.twitter.com/48ggOZLUnV

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) July 18, 2023

The Vikings’ best alternate uniforms have always been of the throwback variety. Keep your color rush and nobody really wants a black uniform even, if they think they do. Just give us the nostalgia of the past, specifically pre-2006, because we all want to forget about the tragedy uniforms from ’06-’12 (most of the AP era).

Vikings will wear throwback uniforms in week 1

But these beauties are about perfect (could’ve gone straight gloss helmets if I’m getting picky). A+. 5 stars. And we won’t have to wait to see them in action. The Minnesota Vikings will wear the new throwbacks in week 1 vs the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who will wear their iconic creamsicle colored uniforms from the 1980’s and 90’s.

Find more details and a lot more pictures/videos HERE.

Paying homage to the 60s and 70s.

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) July 18, 2023

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

On Saturday, though, they’re commemorating the past on “Alumni Day” by throwing their jerseys back to the 1970’s. Remember the tops once worn by Kevin McHale, Dave Winfield and Mychal Thompson? That’s what the 2022-23 team will try and replicate this weekend. These are just fantastic.

thanks, they're ???????????????????????????? 〽️ pic.twitter.com/YQvFgyRKmO

— Minnesota Men's Basketball (@GopherMBB) January 7, 2023

Kevin McHale had 235 blocks in his 3 seasons as a #Gopher before spending 13 years in the NBA playing for Boston #TBT pic.twitter.com/d9Ignn6AHF

— Minnesota Men's Basketball (@GopherMBB) June 11, 2015

Rebuild continues for Ben Johnson

It’s going to be a rough season for this basketball team, especially after losing Parker Fox and Isaiah Ihnen (again) to season-ending knee injuries. But on Saturday, vs the (8-7) Nebraska Cornhuskers, they have one of their best shots this season at notching a Big Ten win.

In fairness, they’re coming off their best performance so far this season, a hard-fought 3-point loss in Madison to the Wisconsin Badgers.

Watch out for Freshmen

Ben Johnson’s best players are veterans, Jamison Battle and Dawson Garcia. And it’s transfer, (Jr) Ta’lon Cooper who drives play. Yet every game it seems, one of the four true freshmen: Josh Ola-Joseph, Braeden Carrington, Pharrel Payne or Jaden Henley, popping off the TV screen.

All freshmen listed above are averaging over 18 minutes per game. Carrington is logging the most, at 24. So while we honor the past today, don’t forget to look forward, too.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

The Minnesota Wild, along with the rest of the NHL, released fresh new takes on retro uniforms on Monday. They’re awesome. Some teams are obviously cooler than others but, overall, Adidas and the NHL killed it with these new throwback threads.

But I’m going to be the Debbie Downer because someone has to be. I want to love the new uniforms but the feeling is just as bitter, as it is sweet… because the logo is wrong and everybody knows it.

New uniforms are cool. Still stupid we can’t wear the north stars logo. pic.twitter.com/JSpAnOjwEz

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) November 16, 2020

Meanwhile, Minnesota Wild retro jerseys are a throwback to the Minnesota North Starshttps://t.co/mrFMOCLDuf pic.twitter.com/2NsLG823ek

— Saad Yousuf (@SaadYousuf126) November 16, 2020

These two are my least favorite of the #ReverseRetro release. The Stars jersey is way way way too bland. And I get the idea behind the Wild jersey but it just don’t look right pic.twitter.com/PQOIsmi3RN

— #PredsPride #TitanUp (@Preds_Pride) November 16, 2020

I want to remind everyone, before getting further into this very controversial subject, that out of all the people and organizations to blame for this travesty, the Minnesota Wild are not it. The Wild came in, after a decade of no pro hockey in the state of hockey, and restored order. They deserve praise.

Bitter-Sweet

You’ll never be able to put this color scheme together and not think about the North Stars in Minnesota. I didn’t grow up as a rabid MN hockey fan but I still know who those colors belong to. They’re too iconic. You see blue/red schemes, red/white schemes, green/white, green/gold, black/gold etc, everywhere. There are a lot of copy-cats around sports, especially when it comes to logos and color schemes.

But nobody, at any major level, has re-created the magic with green/yellow that the North Stars did. That’s part of what makes it so weird to see with a Wild logo where a big upward pointing “N” is supposed to be.

1990: Brian Hayward traded by @CanadiensMTL to Minnesota North Stars. https://t.co/pfWouwFJ5q pic.twitter.com/zhB98o5jNT

— Doug Norris (@GoalieHistory) November 7, 2020

For the love of everything can we please go back to being the Minnesota North Stars. Quit teasing us with the colors and give the people what they want. pic.twitter.com/5IuLXuIJam

— Jimmy Knutson (@JimmyKnutson) November 16, 2020

Lost in history

If the North Stars lacked their iconic symbolism or they weren’t so beloved, with such a storied history in the state of Minnesota, they’d already be lost to the snows of time.

Their move to Dallas all but guaranteed that. When they left, they cut “North” out of their nickname and changed the logo, burying the green and gold deep in the annals of Reunion Arena, along with the “N” logo. I doubt that closet even made the moving list to American Airlines Center in 2001…

Since the Wild aren’t allowed to use the North Stars logo and the Stars want to celebrate their history in Dallas, not Minnesota, we rarely ever see the North Stars “N” reappear. That’s part of the pain.

It’s time for Dallas to sell the “North Stars” copyrights back to Minnesota. Modano’s already come back. We might as well continue the transition. Again, they don’t want OUR HISTORY in Dallas anyway. This should have been done long ago.

ALSO READ: This retro uniform has been hinted at for awhile

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Are you still calling for the North Stars to come back to Minnesota, almost 27 years to the day, since they announced their departure to Texas on March 9, 1993?

Well, it sounds like nostalgic Minnesota hockey fans are likely to get that wish granted next season. That’s if you find Michael Russo of The Athletic credible (that’s a joke)… In a recent mailbag article out of The Athletic this morning, Russo said it would be a “good guess”, that the Wild will add North Star COLORED throwback uniforms for their 2020-21 campaign…

New throwback jerseys expected next year or the year after?

— Travis R.

Next season. As I think I’ve mentioned on a previous mailbag, I think it’s a good guess that the Wild’s will be North Stars colors. Not the logo, the colors. And, of course, there will be a Winter Classic special jersey.

Michael Russo – The Athletic

I’m all for the throwbacks because those North Star colors are some of the best… Too bad our neighbors to the East don’t know how to do green and gold like we did.

It’s also too bad we can’t have the classic North Star logo to go with the colors… but it’s business I guess. It’s hard to force an owner to sell something that he isn’t willing to give up… just ask New York Knicks fans.

Before I read through Russo’s 97-page mailbag (that’s a compliment), I was made aware of this on Twitter (shoutout to @B_Marsh92)… where I also saw a call for some mock-ups from a local graphic designer, who is one of the best I’ve ever seen, Kyle Hance (@Enerrgizer on Twitter and Instagram).

If Kyle delivers his version of these new rumored throwbacks…. they will blow your mind and I’ll be sure to post another blog about them.

#mnwild alternate jerseys rumored to be North Stars COLORS ? We’re gonna need a mock @Enerrgizer

— Brett Marshall ? (@B_Marsh92) March 5, 2020

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan