The Minnesota Timberwolves were founded in 1989 as an NBA expansion team.1)
The name “Timberwolves” was chosen from over 6,000 entries in a name-the-team contest.2)
Minnesota was chosen because wolves are native to the state, and the name reflects the region’s wildlife.3)
The Wolves played their first-ever NBA game on November 3, 1989, against the Seattle SuperSonics.4)
Their original home arena was the Metrodome, shared with the Minnesota Twins and Vikings.5)
In 1990, they moved into the Target Center, which remains their home arena today.6)
The Wolves landed the first overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft, selecting Kevin Garnett directly from high school.7)
Kevin Garnett became the face of the franchise, playing 12 seasons in his first stint with the team.8)
Garnett won the NBA MVP award in 2004, the only Timberwolf to do so.9)
The Wolves made their first playoff appearance in 1997, ending an eight-year wait.10)
In the 2003–04 season, they had their best record (58–24) and reached the Western Conference Finals.11)
The Wolves were knocked out of the playoffs three straight years (1997–1999) by the Utah Jazz.12)
Referee Tim Donaghy later claimed Game 6 of the 2004 Western Finals was rigged—a major NBA scandal.13)
In 2007, Garnett was traded to the Boston Celtics, ending an era.14)
Garnett returned to the Wolves in 2015 for a brief second stint before retiring.15)