Minnesota Timberwolves: Top 5 all-time Wolves trios

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Seattle SuperSonic Gary Payton dribbles past the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Stephon Marbury. Photo Credit: DAN LEVINE/AFP via Getty Images /

No. 3 Minnesota Timberwolves All-Time Big Three

1996-97 Season: Stephon Marbury, Kevin Garnett, and Tom Gugliotta

This trio was electric, but it was short-lived.

Led by the late great Flip Saunders and 20-year-old phenom Kevin Garnett, this team went 40-42 and defeated the 1997 Chicago Bulls as the Big Three went for 66 points on 26-46 shooting in the franchise’s first win over MJ’s squad.

Tom Gugliotta

During the 1996-97 season with the Wolves, Tom Gugliotta averaged 20.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game on his way to his first and only ever All-Star Game. It’s easy to overlook Gugliotta because of the other star power around him, but in that 1996-97 season, it was he and Garnett who were named to the All-Star team.

Stephon Marbury

Stephon Marbury had a stellar rookie season for the Wolves. In his age-19 season, he averaged 15.8 points, 7.8 assists, 2.7 rebounds, and 1 steal per game. He made First-Team All-Rookie but fell short to Allen Iverson for the Rookie of The Year award.

Marbury was eventually traded to the Nets for Terrell Brandon during his third season with the Wolves, sparking plenty of “what could have been” conversations around KG and Steph.

Kevin Garnett

Kevin Garnett was a star immediately out of high school. Garnett only missed the All-Star Game one time in his 12 years in Minnesota. The Big Ticket was the player to build around for over a decade, and it started here.

In his sophomore season, he averaged 17 points, 8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.4 steals, and 2.1 blocks per game.