Soon-to-be Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett’s No.5 jersey will be retired by the Boston Celtics next season, yet the Minnesota Timberwolves have yet to retire the No.21 jersey he played in during his two stints with the team.
Garnett, who will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame later this year, left Minnesota for Boston in 2007 after a 12-year spell, winning a title in 2008 before signing with the Brooklyn Nets in 2013. He returned to the T-Wolves in 2015 and would retire the following year.
The former forward discussed a future front-office role in the team after his return, with the aim of joining the ownership group and possibly succeeding majority owner Glen Taylor, or be a part of the team’s decision making in some capacity. However, Taylor brought Tom Thibodeau in after former coach and President of Basketball Operations Flip Saunders passed away, handing Thibodeau the reins.
Garnett perceived Taylor’s actions as signaling he had reneged on the plans which were drawn up with Saunders before he died in 2015.
Taylor had very kind words for Garnett after he was announced as a Hall of Famer inductee this weekend, despite the fractured relationship.
“He was beloved by our fans in a way that only few players experience and will always have a place at Target Center,” Taylor said, per the Star Tribune. “To be elected in his first year of eligibility validates the impact he had on basketball in Minnesota, the NBA, and around the globe. We are so happy for him to receive this recognition.”
KG isn’t buying it, though.
“Glen knows where I’m at, I’m not entertaining it. First of all, it’s not genuine. Two, he’s getting pressure from a lot of fans and, I guess, the community there,” he told Shams Charania of The Athletic. “Glen and I had an understanding before Flip died, and when Flip died, that understanding went with Flip. For that, I won’t forgive Glen. I won’t forgive him for that. I thought he was a straight up person, straight up businessman, and when Flip died, everything went with him.
“There’s no reason to complain. Just continue to move on. My years in Minnesota and in that community, I cherish. At this point, I don’t want any dealings with Glen Taylor or Taylor Corp. or anything that has to do with him. I love my Timberwolves, I’ll always love my guys, I’ll always love the people who fuck with me there. I’ll always have a special place for the city of Minneapolis and the state of Minnesota in my heart. But I don’t do business with snakes. I don’t do business with snake mu’f**kas. I try not to do business with openly snakes or people who are snake-like.”
