Timberwolves Set February 2027 Date to Retire Kevin Garnett's No. 21

The Minnesota Timberwolves announced Friday that they will retire Kevin Garnett's No. 21 on Feb. 28, 2027. The ceremony will follow a primetime matchup against the Boston Celtics, one of Garnett's former teams, airing on NBC's Sunday Night Basketball, according to Newsweek.

Garnett will become the second player in franchise history to have his number retired, joining Malik Sealy.

The numbers make the case for Garnett without much argument needed. He's the franchise's all-time leader in games played, points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals. He won MVP in the 2003-04 season and made 10 All-Star teams during his 14 seasons in Minnesota before being traded to Boston in 2007.

"Minnesota is home," Garnett said in the team's announcement. "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."

A strained relationship with former owner Glen Taylor had distanced Garnett from the organization. New owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez brought Garnett back into the fold last December, naming him a team ambassador. That move set up Friday's announcement.

"Over the course of his career, Kevin Garnett became much more than the greatest player in Timberwolves history," Lore and Rodriguez said in a joint statement. "He became the embodiment of what it means to compete, to lead and to represent Minnesota. 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. We are thrilled to celebrate this incredible moment with Kevin, his family, our fans and everyone who helped make his legacy possible."

The Timberwolves are treating the retirement as what the team called "the centerpiece of a season-long celebration," with four additional theme nights built around Garnett's legacy. The first comes Dec. 16, when Minnesota hosts the Los Angeles Lakers in a game commemorating the day the franchise drafted Garnett.

"I can't wait to be back in that building, feel that energy, and celebrate it with everybody," Garnett said.

The team hasn't detailed the other three theme nights beyond the Dec. 16 draft commemoration and the Feb. 28, 2027 retirement ceremony itself.

The ceremony gives Minnesota fans a fixed date to close the loop on a relationship that spent years in limbo before this reconciliation.