It's official: Kevin Garnett is getting his number in the rafters. The Timberwolves announced Thursday that No. 21 will be retired on February 28, 2027, following Minnesota's home game against the Celtics — the franchise KG spent his final championship-winning years with after being traded out of Minnesota in 2007.
The date isn't random. Boston is the perfect opponent for this — KG won his only ring with the Celtics in 2008, but his legacy was built almost entirely in Minnesota, where he spent 12 seasons, made 10 All-Star teams and won MVP in 2004. Pairing the ceremony with a Celtics visit ties both chapters of his career together in one night at Target Center.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS! The @Timberwolves will retire Kevin Garnett's No. 21 on February 28, 2027 🤩
What makes this genuinely a big deal is how long it took to happen. KG's relationship with the franchise had been ice-cold for years, reportedly stemming from a falling out with former owner Glen Taylor over a broken promise for Garnett to join the organization after retirement — a deal that fell apart following longtime coach Flip Saunders' death. Garnett was famously blunt about it, saying he didn't do business with people he considered untrustworthy, and he stayed away from Target Center entirely, even during the team's more recent playoff runs.
That changed once Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez won the ownership fight and took control of the franchise from Taylor. With the old regime gone, Garnett reportedly returned to the fold as a team ambassador, clearing the path for a jersey retirement that fans had wanted for years.
When it happens, KG will become just the second player in franchise history to have his number retired, joining former teammate Malik Sealy, whose No. 2 was retired after his death in a 2000 car accident. That's the whole club — which tells you how rare this honor is in Minnesota and how much weight it's going to carry when No. 21 finally goes up.
Mark the calendar: February 28, 2027, Timberwolves-Celtics at Target Center. It's still a ways off, but for a guy who spent years estranged from the franchise he defined, just having a date on the books is the story.