The trees. You begged for them to return. The team sort of teased them returning before last season. They were featured in the photoshoot with Anthony Edwards and Justin Jefferson. Still, the Minnesota Timberwolves wore either their association whites, icon blues, statement greys, or the ice-themed city edition whites for all 82 games last year.
The team was stuck on a frozen lake. The nearest tree was on the shore hundreds of feet away.
After an abnormally hot summer in Minnesota, that lake melted, and the team swam to the tree-filled shore, a familiar place that they had not been to since 2019. That made it all the sweeter when the team posted this on Wednesday morning:
THE TREES ARE BACK.
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) September 24, 2025
The trees, honoring the Timberwolves’ past, are back. But this isn’t your typical homage. They’ve honored these jerseys before. But this time is different. This time, the Wolves will honor their past while focusing on the bright present and future.
“Our Black Trees uniforms pay tribute to one of the most defining eras in team and league history, while introducing a new generation of fans to the Timberwolves’ legacy,” said Timberwolves and Lynx newly hired CEO Matt Caldwell.
The Timberwolves underwent their first rebrand in 1996, introducing white, blue, and black jerseys with green tree trim. That “defining era” of jerseys lasted 12 seasons, eight of which the Wolves reached the playoffs. While wearing those jerseys in 2004, they made their first trip to the Western Conference Finals, and Kevin Garnett won MVP.
However, the defining era came to an end there. The Timberwolves went 13 straight seasons without making the postseason. Garnett left for Boston in 2008, and the Wolves rebranded to a collection of jerseys that fans only associate with losing.
In 2019, one year after the Wolves finally returned to the playoffs, they reintroduced the black jerseys featuring the classic “Timberwolves” script and green tree trim. They honored the past, while the present was dim, and the future didn’t seem any brighter. Jimmy Butler forced his way out of Minnesota, the Wolves went 36-46, and fans didn’t have much to look forward to.
It appeared as if the Wolves were entering another decade-plus of non-competitive basketball. Still, at least fans had a cool alternate uniform to remind them of when things were good.
This time around, things are different. Fans don’t have to think back years to find a bright stretch where they can remember filling into a packed Target Center in the playoffs to watch a team they can consistently buy into being fun to watch. Fans, now, only have to think back a few months.
They don’t have to hold onto the past. Now, they can look forward to the future.
“These iconic uniforms hold a special place in our community, and bringing them back reflects our commitment to listening to fans and celebrating the moments they value most,” said Caldwell. “We will continue to take a fan-first approach and look forward to unveiling more surprises throughout the season.”
Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore took over as controlling owners of the Timberwolves and Lynx this summer. Their first moves were to lock up Naz Reid and Julius Randle for a combined $225 million. Then, the new ownership group debuted an app that brings a new dynamic to buying and selling tickets. Everything about A-Rod and Lore suggests that this is a progressive ownership group with a fan-first approach and is willing to do what it takes to deliver a winning product to its fans.
Wolves fans aren’t used to that.
Still, like the black tree jerseys, A-Rod and Lore haven’t lost sight of how important this team’s lineage is to the fanbase. “Bringing back some of the history of the KG days is something that we’re both very aware is important to our fan base,” said Rodriguez in July.
The Wolves will wear their new jerseys 28 times in total this season. They will wear them 21 times at home, over half of the total regular season home games, which include the first three games of the season at Target Center.
The team heard your pleas. They know how much you wanted to see Anthony Edwards throw down a rim-rocking dunk in the black tree jerseys. The Wolves didn’t just bring those jerseys back; they made them the focal point of the team’s home jersey rotation.
Every time the Wolves wear the threads, everything about the gameday experience will bring you back to the KG days, including a classic edition court. But on that court, what you see the players doing with green trees around their necks will have you only thinking about the future.
Edwards is entering his sixth season, hoping to take an MVP-level jump. Julius Randle isn’t going anywhere, and he proved to be essential to Minnesota’s success last season. Naz Reid isn’t going anywhere, and he is one of the most beloved players in franchise history. Jaden McDaniels is primed to take an offensive leap and become an impact player every night. Terrance Shannon Jr., Rob Dillingham, and Jaylen Clark have already proven they have NBA-level chops. Joan Beringer and Rocco Zikarsky are raw but beaming with potential.
The Timberwolves aren’t stuck on a frozen lake with a jersey rotation that is entirely boring. And they certainly aren’t stuck on a frozen lake of on-court failure and disappointment. The Wolves are on the luscious shore, amongst the trees once again. But this time, instead of looking back on the past, fans can find enjoyment in the present and where the future may take them.