Kevin Garnett has rejoined the Minnesota Timberwolves as an ambassador and agreed to have his No. 21 jersey retired, ending a nearly decade-long estrangement between the franchise icon and the organization, The Athletic reports.
The reconciliation comes after four years of negotiations between Garnett and new majority owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, who finalized their purchase in June 2025. The jersey retirement date has not yet been announced.
“It was crystal clear that was one of the most impactful things we could do as owners is retire KG’s jersey and bring him back to Minnesota,” Lore told The Athletic. “And mend the relationship because he meant so much to the fans, all the community.”
Years-Long Feud With Former Owner
Garnett’s relationship with the Timberwolves deteriorated after his 2007 trade to Boston and completely fractured upon his 2016 retirement. The superstar believed former owner Glen Taylor had promised him a pathway to ownership, while Taylor maintained he only encouraged Garnett to assemble an ownership group.
Garnett vowed never to associate with the franchise while Taylor owned the team. He appeared at Target Center only once since retirement, for a November 2018 game celebrating Prince-inspired uniforms.
“There was a stretch where we really were getting into it about it because I wanted him to come back here and accept it,” said Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers, who remains close to Garnett. “If you know Kevin, he is a principled man. And I got it. I understood it.”
Lore and Rodriguez identified healing the relationship as a top priority when they joined as limited partners in April 2021. Fans flooded their social media demanding Garnett’s return.
“Everywhere we went around, not only Minnesota, but all around the country, all Minnesota Timberwolves fans wanted to know was, when is Kevin coming back into the organization?” Rodriguez said.
The owners hosted Garnett for dinner at Lore’s New York apartment in November 2023, where conversations about a potential partnership began in earnest. Negotiations accelerated after Lore and Rodriguez won their arbitration battle with Taylor in February 2025.
“In many ways, he’s our Babe Ruth for the Yankees, right?” Rodriguez said. “So it was important to start kind of going down a path of mending a relationship.”
Garnett’s new role includes content creation and community initiatives. Former Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns, now with the Knicks, confirmed he will attend the jersey retirement ceremony.