Minnesota Timberwolves facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Minnesota Timberwolves
Conference	Western
Division	Northwest
Founded	1989
History	Minnesota Timberwolves 1989–present
Arena	Target Center
Location	Minneapolis, Minnesota
Team colors	Midnight blue, lake blue, aurora green, moonlight grey, frost white
Main sponsor	Sezzle
CEO	Ethan Casson
President	Tim Connelly
General manager	Matt Lloyd
Head coach	Chris Finch
Ownership	Glen Taylor, Alex Rodriguez, Marc Lore
Affiliation(s)	Iowa Wolves
Championships	0
Conference titles	0
Division titles	1 (2004)
Retired numbers	1 (2)
Association Icon Statement City Classic

The Minnesota Timberwolves, often called the Wolves, are a professional basketball team from Minneapolis, USA. They play in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as part of the Western Conference. The team started in 1989. They play their home games at the Target Center, which has been their home since 1990.

Like many new teams, the Timberwolves had a tough start. But after they got Kevin Garnett in 1995, they made it to the playoffs for eight years in a row, from 1997 to 2004. Even though they lost in the first round for seven years, they won their first division championship in 2004. That same year, they reached the Western Conference Finals. Kevin Garnett was even named the NBA Most Valuable Player that season! After 2005, the team went through a rebuilding phase. They traded Garnett in 2007, but he came back to finish his career with the Wolves in 2015. The team finally ended a 14-year playoff drought when they returned to the postseason in 2018.

Team History: From Start to Stardom

How the Timberwolves Began (1989–1995)

Basketball came back to the Twin Cities in 1989. The NBA gave a new team to owners Harvey Ratner and Marv Wolfenson on April 22, 1987. They started playing in the 1989–90 season.

The team held a contest to choose a name. "Timberwolves" and "Polars" were the two finalists. The team asked cities in Minnesota to vote, and "Timberwolves" won! The name was officially announced on January 23, 1987. Minnesota has the largest number of timberwolves in the lower 48 states.

The Timberwolves played their first game on November 3, 1989, losing to the Seattle SuperSonics. Five days later, they played their first home game at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, losing to the Chicago Bulls. But two nights later, on November 10, the Wolves got their first win, beating the Philadelphia 76ers 125–118 at home. The team, led by Tony Campbell, finished their first season with 22 wins and 60 losses. They set an NBA record by having over 1 million fans at their home games that season!

The next season (1990–91), the team moved to their permanent home, the Target Center. They got a bit better, finishing with 29 wins and 53 losses. However, they struggled in the next two seasons, winning only 15 and 19 games. Even with new players like Christian Laettner and Isaiah Rider, the team couldn't win much. A cool moment from this time was when the Target Center hosted the 1994 All-Star Game. Isaiah Rider won the Slam Dunk Contest with his famous "East Bay Funk Dunk."

The team almost moved to New Orleans in 1994, but the NBA owners said no. Then, Glen Taylor bought the team. The Wolves finished the 1994–95 season with 21 wins and 61 losses.

The Kevin Garnett Era (1995–2007)

Kevin Garnett played for the Timberwolves from 1995 to 2007 before returning in 2015.

In the 1995 NBA draft, the Timberwolves picked high school star Kevin Garnett. He quickly became a key player. In 1996, the Wolves added another star, Stephon Marbury. With Garnett and Tom Gugliotta, the team made the playoffs for the first time in 1997, with a record of 40 wins and 42 losses. They also changed their team logo and colors, adding black and a snarling wolf.

In 1997, Garnett and Marbury became two of the NBA's brightest young stars. The Timberwolves had their first winning season with 45 wins and 37 losses, making the playoffs again. They won their first ever playoff game against the Seattle SuperSonics.

In 1998, after signing Kevin Garnett to a big contract, the NBA had a lockout. The Wolves traded Stephon Marbury, who wanted to be the biggest star, for Terrell Brandon. The Wolves made the playoffs for the third year in a row, but lost to the San Antonio Spurs.

In 1999, the Timberwolves picked Wally Szczerbiak. Led by Kevin Garnett, the team had their first 50-win season, finishing with 50 wins and 32 losses. But they lost in the first round of the playoffs again.

A sad event happened when player Malik Sealy died in a car accident. His number 2 jersey was retired, the only number the team has ever retired.

The NBA also found that the Timberwolves had broken rules when signing a player named Joe Smith. The league took away some of the team's future draft picks and fined them. Despite these problems, the Timberwolves made the playoffs for the fifth straight season.

In the 2001–02 season, the Timberwolves started strong, winning their first six games. They finished with 50 wins and 32 losses, their second 50-win season. Kevin Garnett was an All-Star again, and Wally Szczerbiak also became an All-Star. But again, Minnesota lost in the first round of the playoffs.

The 2002–03 season looked promising. Garnett had a great year, and the Timberwolves finished with 51 wins and 31 losses. They had home-court advantage in the playoffs for the first time, but still lost in the first round to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Reaching the Conference Finals (2003–04)

In 2003, the team made some big trades to try and get past the first round of the playoffs. They brought in Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell, who both had amazing seasons. They also signed Fred Hoiberg and Michael Olowokandi.

The Timberwolves became a top team in the 2003–04 season, finishing as the best team in the Western Conference with 58 wins and 24 losses. Kevin Garnett had his best season, winning his first MVP award.

In the 2004 NBA playoffs, the Wolves won their first-ever playoff series against the Denver Nuggets. Then, they beat the Sacramento Kings in a tough seven-game series to reach the team's first Western Conference Finals. This was a huge moment for Minnesota sports. Their amazing run ended when they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Changes After the Best Season

After their great 2003–04 season, the team faced some challenges. Key players had disagreements about their contracts. After a slow start to the 2004–05 season, coach Flip Saunders was replaced by Kevin McHale. The Timberwolves missed the playoffs for the first time in eight years.

In 2005, Dwane Casey was hired as the new head coach. The team also made some trades, including sending All-Star Sam Cassell to the Los Angeles Clippers. The Timberwolves finished the 2005–06 season with 33 wins and 49 losses, missing the playoffs again.

In January 2007, McHale fired coach Casey and replaced him with Randy Wittman. The team finished the 2006–07 season with 32 wins and 50 losses.

After Kevin Garnett (2007–2010)

On July 31, 2007, the Minnesota Timberwolves traded their star player, Kevin Garnett, to the Boston Celtics. In return, they received several players and draft picks. This was one of the biggest trades in NBA history. Garnett and the Celtics went on to win the NBA championship in 2008.

The Timberwolves were a very young team after the trade. They finished the 2007–08 season with 22 wins and 60 losses.

In the 2008 NBA draft, the Timberwolves traded their pick for Kevin Love, Mike Miller, and other players. This was a big move for the team's future.

In 2008, to celebrate their 20th anniversary, the team updated their logo and uniforms. They also redid the floor at the Target Center.

On December 8, 2008, after a tough start to the season, coach Wittman was fired, and Kevin McHale took over as coach. The team showed some improvement in January, but then their main star, Al Jefferson, got a serious knee injury, ending his season. The Wolves finished with 24 wins and 58 losses.

In June 2009, David Kahn became the new president of basketball operations. He decided that McHale would not return as coach. Later, Kurt Rambis was hired as the new head coach. In Rambis's first season, the team had one of the worst records in the league, with only 15 wins and 67 losses.

The Kevin Love Era (2010–2014)

On November 12, 2010, Kevin Love had an amazing game, grabbing 31 rebounds and scoring 31 points in a win. This was the NBA's first "30–30" game in 28 years!

Love was chosen as an All-Star for the 2010–11 season, the first Timberwolves player since Kevin Garnett in 2007. Love also broke Garnett's team record for most consecutive "double-doubles" (getting double digits in two stats like points and rebounds).

The Timberwolves finished the 2010–11 season with 17 wins and 65 losses, the worst record in the Western Conference. During the off-season, the team finally brought over Ricky Rubio from Spain, who was a highly anticipated player. In the 2011 NBA draft, the Timberwolves picked Derrick Williams.

On July 12, 2011, Kurt Rambis was fired as coach. On September 13, 2011, the team hired Rick Adelman as their new head coach.

The Timberwolves started the 2011–12 season well, but then Ricky Rubio tore his ACL, ending his season. Many other key players also got injured. The team finished with 26 wins and 40 losses, missing the playoffs for the eighth year in a row.

In 2012, the team signed former Timberwolves draft pick Brandon Roy. They also added Andrei Kirilenko and Alexey Shved. Injuries continued to hurt the team, with many players getting hurt. Despite this, coach Adelman won his 1000th game as a head coach. This season was the first time the team won at least 30 games without Kevin Garnett on the roster.

After the season, Flip Saunders came back to replace David Kahn. In the 2013 NBA draft, the team traded for Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng.

On March 28, 2014, the Timberwolves set a team record for points in a game with a 143–107 win. The team won 40 games for the first time since the 2004–05 season, but still missed the playoffs for the tenth year in a row. On April 21, 2014, Rick Adelman retired from coaching.

New Stars Arrive (2014–2015)

Kevin Garnett's first game back with the Timberwolves in 2015.

On August 23, 2014, the Timberwolves traded Kevin Love to the Cleveland Cavaliers. In return, Minnesota received Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett.

The 2014–15 season was a new start for the Timberwolves. Flip Saunders became the head coach again. The team finished with 16 wins and 66 losses, missing the playoffs for the 11th year in a row.

However, Andrew Wiggins was named the NBA Rookie of the Year, the first player in team history to win this award. Draft pick Zach LaVine also became famous after winning the Slam Dunk Contest. LaVine and Wiggins were called "The Bounce Brothers" and were seen as the future of the team.

"The Bounce Brothers"

Andrew Wiggins

Zach LaVine

The Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins Era (2015–2020)

Karl-Anthony Towns Joins the Team (2015–2016)

Because they had the worst record in the NBA in 2014–15, the Timberwolves had the best chance to get the first pick in the 2015 NBA draft. On May 19, the Timberwolves got the first overall pick for the first time ever. On June 25, they picked Karl-Anthony Towns as the number one choice.

The 2015 season also saw the return of Kevin Garnett. He came back to Minnesota in a trade. In his first game back, Garnett wore his old No. 21 jersey, and the team won.

On October 25, 2015, Flip Saunders sadly passed away at age 60. Assistant coach Sam Mitchell took over as head coach. The team wore a patch on their uniforms that said "FLIP" to honor Saunders.

New Coach and Playoff Return (2016–2019)

On April 20, 2016, the Timberwolves hired Tom Thibodeau as their head coach and president of basketball operations. Kevin Garnett announced his retirement on September 23, 2016, after 21 seasons. The Timberwolves finished the 2016–17 season with 31 wins and 51 losses.

Andrew Wiggins

Karl-Anthony Towns

Derrick Rose warming up with the Timberwolves.

On June 22, 2017, the Timberwolves traded for Jimmy Butler. This trade ended the "Bounce Brothers" duo of LaVine and Wiggins. The team also added Taj Gibson, Jeff Teague, Jamal Crawford, and Derrick Rose. The Timberwolves finished the 2017–18 season with 47 wins and 35 losses, their first winning season since 2004–05. They also made the playoffs, ending a 13-season streak without a playoff appearance! They lost in the first round to the Houston Rockets.

On November 12, 2018, the Timberwolves traded Jimmy Butler to the Philadelphia 76ers. On January 6, 2019, coach Thibodeau was fired. Ryan Saunders became the interim head coach.

The Anthony Edwards Era (2020–Present)

Anthony Edwards was selected 1st overall in the 2020 draft and led the Wolves to their second ever Conference Final

Edwards and Towns Lead the Way (2020–2024)

In May 2019, the Timberwolves hired Gersson Rosas as their new president of basketball operations. Ryan Saunders was hired as the permanent head coach.

On February 6, 2020, the Timberwolves traded Andrew Wiggins to the Golden State Warriors for D'Angelo Russell. At the end of the season, the Timberwolves got the 1st pick in the 2020 NBA draft. With that pick, they drafted Anthony Edwards. They also drafted Jaden McDaniels.

On February 21, 2021, coach Ryan Saunders was fired, and Chris Finch was hired to replace him. The Timberwolves finished the season 23-49 and missed the playoffs.

In April 2021, the Timberwolves announced that owner Glen Taylor had agreed to sell the team to Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez. This deal would make Lore and Rodriguez majority owners over two years. The deal also included ownership in the WNBA team, the Minnesota Lynx.

The Timberwolves finished the 2021–22 season with 46 wins and 36 losses, their second-best record since 2004. They beat the Los Angeles Clippers in a play-in game to get into the 2022 NBA playoffs. They were eliminated by the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round.

On May 23, 2022, Tim Connelly was hired as the new president of basketball operations.

On July 1, 2022, the Timberwolves made a big trade, sending several players and draft picks to the Utah Jazz for Rudy Gobert, a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

Anthony Edwards Rises (2022–23)

The Timberwolves had high hopes for the 2022–23 season after getting Rudy Gobert. However, Karl-Anthony Towns got a serious calf injury that kept him out for 52 games. This pushed Anthony Edwards into a leadership role. Edwards became an All-Star for the first time and led the team to 42 wins and 40 losses, earning a spot in the play-in tournament. They won their second play-in game to secure the 8th seed, but then lost to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs.

Second Conference Finals Appearance (2023–24)

Rudy Gobert won a record-tying fourth DPOY in 2024

The 2023–24 season was their best since 2004, with 56 wins. They had the best defense in the league, led by Rudy Gobert, who won his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award. Anthony Edwards made his first All-NBA Team, Karl-Anthony Towns was an All-Star, and fan favorite Naz Reid won the Sixth Man of the Year award.

In the 2024 playoffs, the Timberwolves swept the Phoenix Suns 4–0. This was their first series win since 2004 and the first series sweep in Minnesota men's professional sports history! Anthony Edwards played incredibly well, leading to comparisons to a young Michael Jordan.

In the next round, the Timberwolves faced the Denver Nuggets. After a tough series, the Wolves won Game 7 in Denver, making a huge comeback. This sent them to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 20 years! Their playoff run ended when they lost to the Dallas Mavericks.

New Player, New Era (2024–Present)

During the 2024 off-season, the Timberwolves traded All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks. In return, they received All-Star Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.

Rudy Gobert also signed a new contract extension.

Team Look: Logos and Uniforms

The Minnesota Timberwolves' wordmark logo used from 2008 to 2017.

When the Timberwolves started in 1989, their road uniforms were blue with green letters. Their home uniforms had blue letters with green outlines.

In 1996, after drafting Kevin Garnett, the team changed their uniforms. They added black and gray and used a darker blue. The jerseys now said "Timberwolves" on the front. In 1997, they added a black alternate uniform.

The uniforms changed again in 2008. The road jerseys said "Minnesota," and the home jerseys said "Wolves." They also updated their logo. In 2010, they removed green from the uniforms. In 2013, they changed their black alternate jersey to a short-sleeved one.

On April 11, 2017, the team showed off a new logo. They also revealed four new uniforms for the 2017–18 season. All four uniforms used "Wolves" for the team name.

In 2018, the Timberwolves brought back their old black alternate uniforms from 1997 to 2008. They also had a special dark purple "City" uniform inspired by Prince's album Purple Rain.

For the 2019–20 season, their "City" uniform was sky blue, honoring the Mississippi River and the "Twin Cities."

The 2020–21 "City" uniform honored the North Star, with a black base and green trim.

For the NBA's 75th anniversary in 2021–22, the "City" uniform mixed different parts from past uniforms. It had the original blue, tree accents, and the old logo.

Starting in 2022–23, the Timberwolves had a new "Statement" uniform, which was dark gray with green trim. They also had a new "City" uniform with a white base and rainbow colors to represent Minnesota's diverse community.

The "City" uniform in the 2023–24 season was mostly blue with white lake water designs, showing Minnesota's summer activities. They also brought back their original 1989–1996 white uniform for their "Classic" edition to celebrate their 35th season.

The 2024–25 "City" uniform was mostly white with ice blue colors, representing Minnesota's winter landscape and frozen lakes.

Team Mascot

Crunch the Wolf

Crunch the Wolf is the official mascot of the Minnesota Timberwolves. The team's website says that Crunch was born in the northern wilderness of Minnesota. He loved basketball, which was unusual for his wolf family. He practiced with a basket made of pine-cones and birch bark. When the Timberwolves team came to Minneapolis, Crunch left his forest home to join them. No one knows exactly where he lives, but people say he has a den inside the Target Center. He comes out on game days when fans howl loudly, which reminds him of his forest home and makes him want to help the team win!

Home Arenas

Recent Season Records

Here are the results for the last five seasons of the Timberwolves. Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, W–L% = Winning percentage

Team Personnel

Current Roster

Retired Numbers

The Timberwolves honor special players and coaches by retiring their numbers or names.

• ¹ The Timberwolves retired Malik Sealy's number after he passed away in a car accident after the 1999–2000 season.
• ² The Timberwolves retired "FLIP" to honor Flip Saunders on February 15, 2018. He passed away in 2015.
• The NBA retired Bill Russell's No. 6 for all its teams on August 11, 2022.

Basketball Hall of Famers

These players and coaches who were part of the Timberwolves have been honored in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Team Broadcasters

Radio

As of 2023, you can listen to Minnesota Timberwolves games on the iHeartRadio app. Some games are also on KFXN-FM 100.3 FM in the Twin Cities. Alan Horton has been the team's radio announcer since the 2007–08 season.

Television

Most Timberwolves games are shown on Bally Sports North. If other local sports teams are playing at the same time, the game might be on WUCW or the Bally Sports app. The TV announcers are Michael Grady and Jim Petersen.

Head Coaches

Here is a list of all the head coaches for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

See also

In Spanish: Minnesota Timberwolves para niños