Kevin Garnett DPOY (2003)

Lore & Background

Garnett was drafted fifth overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1995, becoming the first NBA player drafted directly out of high school in 20 years. He led the Timberwolves to eight consecutive playoff appearances and to the Western Conference Finals in 2004, when he won the NBA MVP Award. He was traded to the Celtics in 2007 and helped them win the 2008 NBA Finals. He was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in 2013 and returned to Minnesota in 2015, retiring in September 2016. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 and named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.

In Their Own Story

The arena lights hummed overhead, casting a sharp glow on the hardwood where Kevin Garnett stood chest heaving after another stop. Sweat dripped from his brow onto the painted key, marking the spot where yet another opponent's drive had been halted. The crowd in Target Center roared, sensing the shift in momentum whenever he touched the ball or positioned himself under the rim. He wiped his face with a towel, eyes locked on the next play, embodying the relentless engine that drove Minnesota's defense forward.

Reader's Guide

Garnett was named to 15 All-Star Games, winning the All-Star MVP award in 2003. He was named to the All-NBA Team nine times and the NBA All-Defensive Team 12 times. He holds several Timberwolves franchise records. He made his feature film debut in the 2019 crime thriller Uncut Gems.

Did You Know?

• Garnett is one of five NBA players to have won both the NBA MVP and NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards.
• He was a 1995 McDonald's All-American and was named National High School Player of the Year by USA Today.
• Garnett was arrested for second-degree lynching in high school, but the charge was expunged through a pre-trial intervention.
• He was the first NBA player drafted directly out of high school in 20 years.

The Foundation of a Franchise

The Minnesota Timberwolves emerged from an era of professional basketball drought in the Twin Cities, returning the NBA to Minneapolis after the Lakers' departure decades prior. Selected through a public contest that favored "Timberwolves" over "Polars," the team officially began play in 1989 following a contentious expansion draft where their initial star pick refused to report. Their inaugural season was marked by historic attendance figures despite a struggling record, drawing over one million fans to the Metrodome and later the Target Center. The franchise faced significant instability in its early years, including a near-relocation to New Orleans that was only thwarted by a last-minute financial rescue orchestrated by Edward Villaume and led by Glen Taylor. This period of turbulence saw the team endure some of the league's worst losing records under various coaching regimes before stabilizing ownership and setting the stage for future growth.

The Garnett Revolution

The franchise trajectory shifted dramatically with the selection of Kevin Garnett in the 1995 draft, transforming a struggling expansion team into a consistent playoff contender. Under head coach Flip Saunders, Garnett propelled the Wolves to eight consecutive postseason appearances between 1997 and 2004, breaking through their initial first-round exit streaks. This era culminated in a historic 2003-2004 campaign where the team secured its first-ever division title and advanced deep into the Western Conference Finals for the first time. Garnett's dominance was recognized league-wide when he was awarded both the Defensive Player of the Year and the Most Valuable Player honors during this peak season. Although the team eventually entered a rebuilding phase following Garnett's 2007 trade to Boston, his tenure defined the franchise's identity as a competitive force in the Northwest Division.

Modern Renaissance

After enduring a fourteen-year playoff drought that began after Garnett's initial departure, the Timberwolves initiated a successful resurgence in the 2020s. This new chapter was sparked by the strategic acquisition of Anthony Edwards as the number one overall pick in 2020 and the subsequent hiring of head coach Chris Finch in 2021. Together, they have guided the franchise back to relevance, securing four consecutive playoff berths and achieving two straight appearances in the Western Conference Finals. This rapid ascent marks a significant departure from the team's historical struggles with win percentage, establishing them once again as a formidable entity within the NBA hierarchy. The modern era represents a return to contention that had been absent for over a decade following the end of the original Garnett dynasty.

Ownership and Legacy

The Timberwolves have navigated complex ownership transitions throughout their history, reflecting both the challenges and stability required to maintain an NBA franchise in Minneapolis. After early struggles involving original owners Harvey Ratner and Marv Wolfenson, Glen Taylor became a pivotal figure who stabilized the team during its formative years. In a major shift for the franchise's future, Taylor completed the sale of the team in 2025 to a consortium led by former MLB star Alex Rodriguez and business partner Marc Lore. The NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved this $1.5 billion transaction, which had been under negotiation since 2021. This change in leadership coincides with the team's modern competitive revival, suggesting a new chapter for an organization that has weathered early expansion difficulties, near-relocation threats, and long rebuilding periods to remain a staple of Minnesota sports.