The Timberwolves are in rare territory in the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
A franchise that has historically struggled to make the postseason has reached the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 20 years.
A lot has changed since Minnesota's previous appearance at this stage, and each win going forward will continue to cement this team's legacy in franchise history.
Anthony Edwards leads a deep No. 3-seeded Timberwolves squad alongside Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert. They finished the season 56-26, which is the second-best record in franchise history. It's fitting their two winningest seasons have both featured Western Conference Finals runs.
The Sporting News takes a look back at the last time Minnesota reached the Western Conference Finals.
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When was the last time the Timberwolves made the Western Conference Finals?
Younger Timberwolves fans either don't remember or weren't alive the last time Minnesota reached the Western Conference Finals. The older fanbase can certainly recall the 20 years of misery in between eras.
The Timberwolves last made the Western Conference Finals in 2004. Kevin Garnett won MVP in 2003-04, leading Minnesota to the No. 1 seed with a 58-24 record. It's the only time the franchise reached that stage prior to this year.
Edwards, who has blossomed into an MVP candidate, was 2 when Minnesota reached the Western Conference Finals in 2004.
Garnett was very much the leading force, but he had some help with first-year Wolves Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell, who had come over from the Bucks and Knicks, respectively, in the offseason. The trio matched up against a stacked No. 2-seeded Los Angeles Lakers team featuring Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.
The 2003-04 Lakers had also acquired ring-chasing veterans Gary Payton and Karl Malone in the offseason. Those aging stars didn't win a ring that season, but neither did the Timberwolves.
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With Cassell missing all or the majority of four games because of a back injury, Los Angeles was too much for the Timberwolves to handle. The Lakers won the series 4-2 and moved on to play the Pistons in the NBA Finals, where Detroit easily upset L.A. in five games.
Minnesota never seemed to bounce back following this playoff exit. Cassell and Sprewell left after 2005 — Cassell traded to the Clippers and Sprewell remaining unsigned and retiring — and despite Garnett playing at an MVP level through 2007, it wasn't enough to even make the postseason. That began a 13-year playoff drought.
After those three initial seasons of missing the postseason, the Timberwolves traded Garnett to the Boston Celtics for Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff, and two first-round picks, thus beginning the team's rebuilding process.
This 2023-24 Minnesota squad is the first team to sniff the level of success Garnett's 2003-04 team had. It also has the opportunity to outdo Garnett and reach the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.
Timberwolves 2003-04 playoff roster
- Kevin Garnett
- Latrell Sprewell
- Sam Cassell
- Trenton Hassell
- Wally Szczerbiak
- Fred Hoiberg
- Ervin Johnson
- Michael Olowokandi
- Mark Madsen
- Darrick Martin
- Gary Trent
- Oliver Miller
Kevin Garnett 2003-04 MVP stats
Garnett dominated the 2003-04 season, winning his only MVP of his NBA career. He received 120 of 123 first-place votes, easily beating out Tim Duncan for the award.
Here's Garnett's stat line from his MVP campaign:
- 24.2 points per game
- 13.9 rebounds per game
- 5.0 assists per game
- 1.5 steals per game
- 2.2 blocks per game
- 49.9% field goal shooting
- 25.6% 3-point shooting
- 79.1% free throw shooting
- 18.3 win shares
