Kevin Garnett's distance from the Minnesota Timberwolves upon retirement in 2016 has always been unfortunate. Of course, this is related to a long-standing dispute with the previous owner, Glen Taylor. However, with new owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez officially taking over as owners this season, it seemed like a matter of time before the relationship healed.
On Thursday, fans finally got confirmation on these rumors, as it was announced that Garnett will take on a role with the organization. According to Shams Charania of ESPN, KG will undertake an all-encompassing role involving business, community, and fan-engagement efforts, and content development with the Wolves and Lynx. Furthermore, Shams confirmed that Garnett's iconic No. 21 will be retired within the next two years.
Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett is reuniting with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Lynx in a new, all-encompassing role involving business, community efforts and content development, sources told ESPN. His long-awaited No. 21 Wolves jersey retirement will also happen in Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/DedJhDezd3
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 18, 2025
In the words of LeBron James, it's about damn time.
This Kevin Garnett announcement is overdue
During his 14-year tenure with the Wolves, Garnett averaged 19.8 points, 11 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. He won MVP, made 10 All-Star teams, made six All-Defensive teams, and led the Wolves to their first conference finals appearance in franchise history. Garnett holds the claim as the best player in franchise history. As a result, it always felt strange that Garnett hadn't been connected to the franchise or had his jersey retired. Plus, back in 2022, Garnett had his No. 5 retired with the Boston Celtics.
That's not to say that Garnett's reasons for being distant from the franchise aren't valid. Rather, it's just always been odd given his importance to the franchise.
Garnett has long hoped to have a role within the Timberwolves organization. In fact, that is a large part of his turbulent relationship with Taylor. When former team president Flip Saunders brought Garnett back to Minnesota for his farewell season back in 2015, KG was promised a role within the organization. Following Saunders' tragic death, Taylor didn't fulfill this promise.
Nearly a decade after Garnett's retirement, things have finally changed. It's not exactly surprising that The Big Ticket has been able to build up a quality relationship with new ownership, especially since KG and Rodriguez are both former pro athletes. By all accounts, the new ownership of Rodriguez and Lore is a massive step in the right direction, and rekindling the relationship with KG is a notable factor.
This news especially feels overdue because Rodriguez and Lore purchased the team back in 2021. However, a multi-year dispute with Taylor prevented them from taking over immediately.
While Garnett's role within the organization appears to be instant, it's unclear when his number will be retired. Shams' timeline within the next two years seems a bit vague, and I am sure all Wolves fans are hoping for this long-overdue honor to happen later this year. With Garnett's relationship with the organization healing, I don't see why this couldn't be the case.