Kevin Garnett has officially rejoined the Minnesota Timberwolves as a team ambassador and has agreed to have his iconic No. 21 jersey retired, ending a nearly decade-long rift between the franchise legend and the organization, according to The Athletic.
The reconciliation follows four years of discussions between Garnett and the Timberwolves’ new majority owners, Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, who finalized their purchase of the team in June 2025. While the official jersey retirement date has yet to be announced, the decision represents a major symbolic step for the franchise.
“It was crystal clear that one of the most impactful things we could do as owners was retire KG’s jersey and bring him back to Minnesota,” Lore told The Athletic. “And mend the relationship, because he meant so much to the fans and the community.”
Years-Long Rift With Former Ownership
Garnett’s relationship with the Timberwolves began to sour following his trade to the Boston Celtics in 2007 and completely fractured after his retirement in 2016. Garnett believed former owner Glen Taylor had promised him a future ownership role, while Taylor maintained he had only encouraged Garnett to pursue an ownership group.
As a result, Garnett publicly stated he would not associate with the franchise as long as Taylor remained in control. He appeared at Target Center just once following his retirement, during a November 2018 game celebrating Prince-inspired uniforms.
“He’s a principled man,” said Doc Rivers, now head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, who remains close to Garnett. “I understood why he felt the way he did.”
New Ownership Prioritized Reconciliation
Lore and Rodriguez identified repairing the relationship with Garnett as a priority soon after joining the ownership group as limited partners in April 2021. Timberwolves fans frequently flooded their social media accounts with requests to bring Garnett back into the fold.
“Everywhere we went, not just in Minnesota but across the country, Timberwolves fans kept asking when Kevin was coming back,” Rodriguez said.
Momentum increased after the owners hosted Garnett for dinner at Lore’s New York apartment in November 2023, with negotiations accelerating further once Lore and Rodriguez prevailed in their arbitration case against Taylor in February 2025.
“In many ways, he’s our Babe Ruth,” Rodriguez added. “So it was important to start down the path of mending that relationship.”
Garnett’s New Role
Garnett’s ambassador role will include content creation and community-focused initiatives. Former Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns, now with the New York Knicks, confirmed he plans to attend the jersey retirement ceremony.
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