Timberwolves set Garnett jersey retirement for Celtics clash - ESPN

The Minnesota Timberwolves will retire Kevin Garnett's No. 21 jersey after they face another of his former clubs, the Boston Celtics, on Feb. 28, the team announced Friday.

It will be the second jersey retirement for the 15-time All-Star, after the Celtics did so for the No. 5 in March 2022.

The Timberwolves in December had announced plans to honor Garnett after he agreed to a reunion with his first NBA squad and became a team ambassador. Minnesota said at the time that Garnett's retirement ceremony would be held at some point over the next two seasons.

«Minnesota is home. That's never changed. This is where it all started for me, so seeing No. 21 go up in Target Center and sharing that moment with the fans, my family, teammates, coaches, and everyone who's been part of this journey means everything,» Garnett said in a statement. «But I don't see this as the end — I see it as a new beginning. Retiring the jersey is just the start of the next chapter in Minnesota, about building something that lives beyond the game.… I can't wait to be back in that building, feel that energy, and celebrate it with everybody. Let's get it.»

Garnett had been distant from the Timberwolves since his playing career ended in 2016 due to a fallout with former owner Glen Taylor. Garnett had refused to have his jersey retired by Minnesota until he built a rapport with new governors Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, who agreed to buy the team in 2021.

«Bringing Kevin back to the organization as Team Ambassador has allowed us to celebrate his legacy in a new and meaningful way, and retiring No. 21 is the ultimate recognition of everything he has meant to this franchise and our fans,» Lore and Rodriguez said in a statement. «We are thrilled to celebrate