The Minnesota Timberwolves released their full 82-game regular-season schedule Aug. 13, but fans quickly had more to look forward to than just the games themselves.
Shortly after the schedule was announced, the Timberwolves revealed their promotional schedule, featuring giveaways, theme nights and celebrations throughout the season. The team also announced that Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett’s No. 21 jersey will be retired Feb. 28 against the Boston Celtics.
Promotional games have become popular among Timberwolves fans because of the one-of-a-kind items handed out throughout the season, including bobbleheads, hats, shirts, jerseys, toys, bags, lunchboxes, and more.
Past giveaways, such as the Naz Reid towel night, have become part of recent Timberwolves’ history and fan culture. The promotional nights give fans an additional reason to attend a game while providing a souvenir they can take home and remember the experience.
This season’s schedule includes bobblehead nights for Jaden McDaniels and newly acquired LaMelo Ball. Children will have opportunities to receive a Crunch lunchbox and Hello Kitty Blind Box. The team will also host celebration nights for military appreciation, Pride, Native American Heritage Month and other groups and causes.
The Minnesota Timberwolves Promotional Schedule
Oct. 25: Home Opener vs. Toronto Raptors — All fans receive a Timberwolves rally towel.
Nov. 2: Noche Latina vs. Milwaukee Bucks.
Nov. 12: Military Appreciation Night vs. Dallas Mavericks.
Nov. 17: Native American Heritage Month Night, presented by Treasure Island & Prairie Island Indian Community, vs. Portland Trail Blazers.
Dec. 21: Pride Night vs. Phoenix Suns.
Jan. 11: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Night vs. Cleveland Cavaliers.
Jan. 20: vs. Houston Rockets — First 10,000 fans receive an Anthony Edwards figurine.
Jan. 31: Asian American & Pacific Islander Night vs. Phoenix Suns.
Feb. 6: Black Excellence Day vs. Miami Heat.
Feb. 7: Crunch’s Birthday, presented by Hy-Vee, vs. Utah Jazz — First 5,000 children 12 and under receive a Crunch lunch box.
Feb. 18: vs. San Antonio Spurs — First 10,000 fans receive a LaMelo Ball bobblehead.
Feb. 26: vs. Indiana Pacers — First 10,000 fans receive a Hello Kitty Blind Box.
March 8: Inspiring Women Night vs. New Orleans Pelicans.
March 26: vs. Orlando Magic — First 10,000 fans receive a Jaden McDaniels bobblehead.
April 11: Fan Appreciation Night vs. Houston Rockets — All fans in attendance receive a Fan Appreciation poster.
Garnett’s Jersey Retirement and Celebration Nights
Garnett spent 14 seasons with Minnesota and remains the most decorated player in franchise history. He leads the Timberwolves in points, assists, rebounds, blocks and steals.
The former league MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and 15-time All-Star was also selected to 12 All-Defensive teams and nine All-NBA teams. He won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008 and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.
His No. 21 will become only the second jersey retired in the Timberwolves’ history. The only other retired number belongs to the late Malik Sealy, who wore No. 2.
Garnett spent most of his career in Minnesota but also played six seasons in Boston, where he won his Defensive Player of the Year award and NBA championship in 2008. The Celtics retired his No. 5 jersey in March 2022.
The Timberwolves will retire Garnett’s jersey Feb. 28 against Boston, creating a fitting matchup between two of his former teams on one of the most important nights in franchise history.
The night will also include giveaways. All fans in attendance will receive a Garnett figurine and T-shirt.
Including the actual jersey retirement, which will take place Feb. 28, the Timberwolves will hold five Garnett celebration nights throughout the season. Each night will feature a Garnett figurine representing a memorable moment from his Timberwolves career.
Draft Night — Dec. 16: vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 8:30 p.m. on ESPN.
All-Star MVP Night — Jan. 29: vs. Charlotte Hornets, 8:30 p.m. on ESPN.
Jersey Retirement Night — Feb. 28 vs. Boston Celtics, 6 p.m. on NBC.
NBA MVP Night — March 14: vs. Washington Wizards, 7 p.m.
Western Conference Finals Night — March 28: vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 6:30 p.m. on NBC.
The four celebration nights, along with the jersey retirement, will give Timberwolves fans several opportunities to celebrate Garnett and reflect on his accomplishments in a Minnesota uniform.
Why Did Garnett’s Jersey Retirement Take So Long?
Garnett’s jersey retirement has been a long time coming.
Most organizations retire the jersey of their most decorated players relatively soon after their careers end to honor their legacy and contributions to the franchise. Minnesota waited much longer, largely because of the strained relationship between Garnett and longtime Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor.
Taylor owned the Timberwolves from 1994 until he sold the franchise to Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore in June 2025. Garnett spent all 14 of his Minnesota seasons under Taylor’s ownership.
The relationship began to deteriorate in 2005, when the Timberwolves fired longtime coach Flip Saunders.
Garnett had been coached by Saunders throughout his career and was unhappy with the decision. The tension continued until Garnett was reluctantly traded to Boston in 2007, a move that left him feeling betrayed by the organization.
Over time, the relationship between Garnett and the Timberwolves cooled.
Saunders eventually returned to Minnesota as president and part-owner in 2013 and helped convince Garnett to reconnect with the franchise in 2015. The reunion, however, was short-lived.
That same year, Saunders was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. He died Oct. 25, 2015, from complications related to the illness.
According to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, Saunders had been the “middleman” both Garnett and Taylor trusted. After Saunders’ death, the relationship between Garnett and Taylor deteriorated further.
Garnett was particularly upset with how the organization handled Saunders’ death. Saunders received a short tribute video during the Timberwolves’ home opener of the 2015-16 season. Garnett believed his longtime coach deserved more, including a banner hanging from the Target Center rafters, which was done later on in 2018.
Garnett also expressed interest in taking on a front-office role with the Timberwolves and wanted a greater voice in the franchise’s decision-making. Taylor rejected the idea and instead hired Tom Thibodeau to a five-year contract.
That decision became a breaking point for Garnett, who asked Minnesota to buy out the final year of his contract.
Garnett then wanted little to do with the franchise for several years after his buyout and retirement. He also turned down the opportunity to have his jersey retired, believing fan pressure was the primary reason the organization wanted to honor him.
New Ownership Swayed KG
The situation began to change after Lore and Rodriguez agreed to purchase the Timberwolves in 2021. Garnett became more open to having his jersey retired after building a relationship with the new owners.
In December 2025, Garnett agreed to become a Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx team ambassador, with responsibilities involving business, community, fan engagement and content development.
Now, after years of tension between Garnett and the organization, Timberwolves fans will finally have the opportunity to celebrate the greatest player in Minnesota basketball history without the uncertainty surrounding his relationship with the ownership and front office.
The promotional schedule gives fans plenty of reasons to attend games throughout the season. But for Timberwolves fans, the biggest celebration will come Feb. 28, when Garnett’s No. 21 officially joins Malik Sealy’s No. 2 in the rafters at Target Center.
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