Our series on the four jerseys fans of every NBA team continues today. It’s Northwest Division week, and today we’re focusing on the Minnesota Timberwolves. Remember, we’re not just going to list off four popular players in team history. We know that when you’re wearing a jersey, you’re going for a “look.” So every day we’re going to tell you the jersey you’ve got to have, the jersey you can’t go wrong with (in case you can’t find the first one), the jersey that will make people say “Oh, that’s awesome,” and the joke jersey that will have everyone laughing.
The Minnesota Timberwolves haven’t had the best run over their 22 NBA seasons. They’ve won less than 40% of their games and they’ve mostly been stuck near the bottom of the standings. The Kevin Garnett years brought some moderate success with eight straight playoff appearances from the mid-90’s to the early 2000’s. But the first seven were first round losses.
The franchise’s history has been marred by controversy, tragedy, and poor management. Yet through it all, the fans remain loyal… and they still clamor for a winner. These four jerseys properly capture the agonizing history, yet hopeful future, of the TWolves franchise.
Gotta Have:
Kevin Garnett — He is, quite simply, the best player that may ever wear a Timberwolves jersey. He has scored almost three times as many points as the franchise’s second-leading scorer (19,041 points to Sam Mitchell’s 7,161). In 12 years in Minnesota, KG leads the franchise in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks… and no one is even close right now in any of those categories. It speaks to his longevity with the franchise, as well as how good he was at everything. And forever loyal, KG made sure to thank Minnesota after his championship with Boston. Small consolation to the fans who could never see him hoist the trophy in ‘Sota, but proof that part of his heart will forever be with the Wolves. His #21 is an absolute must in any TWolves fan’s wardrobe.
Can’t Go Wrong With:
Kevin Love — He’s the new face of the franchise. His rebounding numbers this past season were out of this world. His 15.2 rebounds per game last season is a team record (though Garnett does still hold the team record for most total rebounds in a season, 1139 in 03-04 to Love’s 1112 last season). Love is becoming a league-wide star with a lovable (pun intended) personality that makes it easy to wear his #42 around town.
“Oh, That’s Cool”:
Malik Sealy — 10 years ago, Sealy was driving down the freeway when a drunk driver, going the wrong way, hit and killed him. It’s a tragedy that rocked the team, especially his best friend, Kevin Garnett. In his short time with the Wolves, he had found a comfortable role and blossomed into a key contributor. His shooting and rebounding numbers were at career highs, and he’d come up with a few game-winning plays to earn himself a spot in the fans’ hearts. The Wolves have retired his #2, and owning one yourself is a very cool way to honor his memory.
“Oh, That’s Funny”:
Latrell Sprewell — There were a lot of candidates for this one, but the quote “I have a family to feed … If Glen Taylor wants to see my family fed, he better cough up some money. Otherwise, you’re going to see these kids in one of those Sally Struthers commercials soon.” This was after a three-year, $21 million offer. So to recap, making $7 million a year wouldn’t have been enough to stave off Ethiopia-like starvation for Spree’s kids. Actually, he might have been right. Since turning down that offer and never getting another one in the NBA, Spree’s defaulted on mortgages, had his yacht auctioned off, and he’s Wisconsin’s TOP tax delinquent, owing $3.5 million in back taxes. Yep, Spree’s a piece of work, but you know what it means to have to feed a family in this economy. So grab his #8 and start turning down job offers… because that’s the Sprewell way.
There you have it. The four jerseys Timberwolves fans have got to have. Disagree with us? Let us know who we missed in the comments.
Atlantic Division: Boston, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, Toronto
Central Division: Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Indiana, Milwaukee
Southeast Division: Atlanta, Charlotte, Orlando, Miami, Washington
Pacific Division: Golden State, LA Clippers, LA Lakers, Phoenix, Sacramento
Northwest Division: Denver, Oklahoma City
Tomorrow: Portland
Jeff Garcia collaborated on this post
