Why haven’t the Timberwolves retired Kevin Garnett’s jersey? Feud with owner Glen Taylor behind holding pattern :-
Anthony Edwards is on his way to being a Timberwolves legend, but he’s far from being the franchise’s best player.
Kevin Garnett. The No. 5 choice in the 1995 NBA Draft went from high school prodigy to NBA star, putting Minnesota on the map immediately.
Why haven’t the Timberwolves retired Kevin Garnett’s jersey? Feud with owner Glen Taylor behind holding pattern
Garnett started as a Timberwolves impact player but became a star by his fourth season. The 6-11 forward played tough defense and made transition plays with his shot-blocking. He was one of the first big guys to routinely bring the ball up the court and became a prolific inside-the-arc scorer.
Garnett was a 15-time All-Star, 12-time All-Defensive, and NBA MVP. Many question why the Timberwolves haven’t retired his No. 21 jersey after all these honors.
Minnesota wants to do so. Garnett refused to accept the award from Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, whom he called a “snake”.
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Why don’t Timberwolves have Kevin Garnett’s jersey retired?
A disagreement between 2003-04 MVP Garnett and Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor prevents the team from retiring his jersey. In a 2020 Athletic interview, Garnett said that blocked the jersey retirement.
“Glen knows where I am,” Garnett said. I’m not interested. First off, it’s fake. Two, fans and the community there are pressuring him.”
Garnett said that Taylor broke his promise to help the 15-time All-Star transition from a player to a more prominent role in Minnesota. He aspired to be an owner or franchise decision-maker.
After Flip Saunders repurchased Garnett toward the end of his career in 2015, The longtime Timberwolves coach, then in the front office, shared Garnett’s future vision.
After fighting Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Saunders died in October 2015. After that, Taylor recruited Tom Thibodeau as the organization’s new head, which Garnett thought was a deviation from Saunders’ objectives before his death.
“Glen and I had an understanding before Flip died, and when Flip died, that understanding went with Flip,” Garnett said. “I won’t forgive Glen for that. His actions will not be forgiven. He was a straight-up guy and businessman, and when Flip died, everything went with him.”
Garnett played his last season with the Timberwolves in 2015-16, so he couldn’t join the ownership group or help run the front office.
He still criticized Taylor’s handling of Saunders’ departure. Thus, Garnett won’t deal with the Minnesota owner.
“No need to complain,” Garnett remarked. “Just keep going. I treasure my Minnesota years and community. I no longer wish to do business with Glen Taylor or Taylor Corp. Love my Timberwolves, guys, and those that f— with me there. Minneapolis and Minnesota will always be significant to me. I don’t deal with snakes.”
Kevin Garnett stats, records with Timberwolves
Garnett deserves his jersey retired. During his career, the Hall of Famer averaged 17.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.4 blocks, and he was much better in Minnesota.
Garnett averaged 19.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.6 blocks in 14 Timberwolves seasons. His double-double average continued after his final season with the Wolves, when he averaged 14.6 minutes per game.
Only Garnett has won NBA MVP for the Timberwolves. He leads the franchise in most important statistical categories, as seen below.
