At long last, Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore have an agreement in place to assume ownership of the Minnesota Timberwolves after a battle with Glen Taylor. Minnesota's two professional basketball teams -- the Timberwolves and Lynx -- will soon enter a new era. The NBA must first approve the ownership transfer, which includes a vote by the Board of Governors.
There will no longer be awkward tension within the organization about who to turn to. There will also no longer be tension between the Timberwolves and the best player in franchise history, or that's at least what Minnesota hopes for.
ESPN's Shams Charania said this week that the Timberwolves will "work to rekindle that relationship with Kevin Garnett."
Garnett was drafted one year after Taylor bought the team for $88.5 million in 1994. The Hall of Famer spent 12 seasons in Minnesota before he was traded to the Celtics in 2007. KG retired in 2016 and planned to join Flip Saunders in the Timberwolves organization, but that plan ended after Saunders passed away. Garnett faults Taylor.
Kevin Garnett could finally get his Timberwolves jersey retired after ownership change
Garnett has refused to have his No. 21 Timberwolves jersey retired because of Taylor. Boston retired his No. 5 Celtics jersey in 2022, an honor that KG said he didn't feel worthy of. Garnett led Boston to an NBA championship in 2008, the team's last title before the 2024 Celtics hoisted the Larry O'Brien trophy last summer.
Charania asked Garnett about Minnesota retiring his jersey in 2020 after he was elected to the Hall of Fame, to which KG said (subscription required):
"Glen knows where I’m at, I’m not entertaining it. First of all, it’s not genuine. Two, he’s getting pressure from a lot of fans and, I guess, the community there. Glen and I had an understanding before Flip died, and when Flip died, that understanding went with Flip. For that, I won’t forgive Glen. I won’t forgive him for that. I thought he was a straight up person, straight up business man, and when Flip died, everything went with him."
Garnett said he "cherishes" the time he spent in Minneapolis and that he'll always love his Timberwolves, but he refused to "do business with snakes." KG wanted to join the organization's ownership group when Taylor stepped down, but he felt that Taylor betrayed him.
Hopefully, Rodriguez and Lore will succeed in mending the organization's relationship with Garnett. He's made it clear his issue is with Taylor, and the 83-year-old no longer being involved with the Timberwolves could lead KG back to Minnesota for a well-deserved jersey retirement ceremony.