LAS VEGAS — Kevin Garnett’s jewelry and validation as a champion came from the Boston Celtics, but he made his name as “The Kid” and later became a superstar with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
He’s mostly associated himself with being part of Celtics lore and not with the Timberwolves because of his estranged relationship with the franchise and most notably outgoing owner Glen Taylor.
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But with Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore finally winning their battle with Taylor for control of the franchise, getting Garnett back into the fold is among their priorities.
“We would love to course correct that, because he’s so important to our franchise, to that community, to the history of Timberwolves,” Rodriguez said to a small group of reporters, including Yahoo Sports, at a gathering inside Thomas & Mack Center, an hour after being formally introduced as the new stewards of the franchise.
Garnett had two stints with the Timberwolves, first being drafted straight out of high school in 1995 before being traded to Boston in 2007, and then returning as a veteran presence for his final two seasons (2014-16).
It was believed Garnett’s return in 2014 would come with a minority stake in the franchise and perhaps a front-office position, but it never materialized, and Garnett, aside from being part of a group to make a bid on the team in 2021, hasn’t associated himself with the Timberwolves.
No jersey retirement, no special honors for the man who owns nearly every important Timberwolves record. No return home for the man who won the 2004 MVP and had many MVP-worthy years holding up an underachieving franchise.
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Rodriguez pointed out Garnett’s beef is with Taylor and not with himself and Lore.
“We don’t have to really bridge much, because we have a wonderful relationship with Kevin, and we have a lot of respect for him, and he has great people around him,” Rodriguez said. “If it’s important to our fan base, it’s going to be important to Mark and I.”
During the playoffs, the Timberwolves’ game-night staff showed a hype video of Garnett as a youngster, imploring the crowd to get up and cheer — before the start of a fourth quarter. If the fans’ reaction to seeing an old video of Garnett on the Jumbotron is any indication, it feels very important to them.
Rodriguez, one of Major League Baseball’s all-time greats, harkened back to his time as a New York Yankee and seeing Yogi Berra, Reggie Jackson and Willie Randolph at spring training every year.
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The story of the Yankees franchise can’t be told without those names, and that connective tissue helps players understand who they’re playing for and the standard they’re expected to uphold.
“George Steinbrenner [late Yankees owner] understood that you’re playing for more than just the name on the back,” Rodriguez said. “There’s a responsibility that comes with that pinstripe [jersey] and the legacy connectors are so important. So we’re going to try to do the same thing here.”
Anthony Edwards is the torch-bearer, but in 36 years Garnett has stood above and beyond over other Timberwolves stars like Karl-Anthony Towns, Kevin Love and Tom Gugliotta.
During a 10-year stretch (1998-2007) Garnett averaged 22 points, 12.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.4 steals. That type of excellence at his position was matched by the likes of only Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki — players who are synonymous with the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks, respectively.
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Rodriguez hopes to initiate an alumni program of sorts, similar to the New York Knicks’ “Always a Knick” slogan that has them recognizing so many players who’ve played for the franchise — even if only for a year, even if the time itself wasn’t memorable.
From the outside it feels like there’s a warmth from the Knicks to their former players, Charles Oakley aside. Rodriguez even said he’s “jealous” of how the Knicks honor those players.
“We’ve had some incredible people come through this franchise, and it’s heartbreaking they’re not around,” he said.
