Why haven't the Timberwolves retired Kevin Garnett's jersey? Feud with owner Glen Taylor behind holding pattern

Anthony Edwards is on his way to establishing himself as one of the Timberwolves' all-time greats, but he has a long way to go before he can ever compare to the franchise's best player.

That would be Kevin Garnett. The No. 5 pick in the 1995 NBA Draft helped put Minnesota on the map quickly as he ascended from high-upside high school prospect to an NBA star.

Garnett began as an impact player for the Timberwolves before blossoming into a bonafide star by his fourth season. The 6-11 forward played a rugged brand of defense and used his shot-blocking skills to make plays in transition. He was among the first brand of big men who could consistently bring the ball up the court and quickly established himself as an impactful scorer from inside the arc.

Garnett was a 15-time All-Star, a 12-time All-Defensive team winner and an MVP during his NBA career. That has led many to wonder why, despite all these accolades, the Timberwolves haven't yet retired his iconic No. 21 jersey.

It's not for a lack of desire to do so on Minnesota's part. It's about Garnett not wanting to accept the honor from a man he once referred to as a "snake" — Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor.

MORE: Do the Timberwolves have an answer for Luka Doncic?

Why don't Timberwolves have Kevin Garnett's jersey retired?

The Timberwolves haven't retired Garnett's jersey because of an ongoing feud between the 2003-04 MVP and owner Glen Taylor. That has prevented the jersey retirement from becoming a reality, as Garnett expressed in a 2020 interview with The Athletic.

"Glen knows where I’m at," Garnett explained. "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."

Garnett further detailed his belief that Taylor reneged on his word to help the 15-time All-Star transition from his role as a player into a more prominent role in the Minnesota organization. He wanted to either join the ownership group or be a key decision-maker in the franchise.

This came after Flip Saunders reacquired Garnett in 2015 at the very end of his career. The long-time Timberwolves coach — then in the organization's front office — shared Garnett's vision for his future.

However, Saunders died in October 2015 after a battle with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. After that, Taylor pursued Tom Thibodeau to become the organization's new leader, which Garnett felt was a departure from the plans outlined by Saunders before his death.

"Glen and I had an understanding before Flip died, and when Flip died, that understanding went with Flip," Garnett told The Athletic. "For that, I won’t forgive Glen. I won’t forgive him for that. I thought he was a straight up person, straight up business man, and when Flip died, everything went with him."

It's worth noting that Garnett played his final season with the Timberwolves in 2015-16, so he wouldn't have been able to join the ownership group or take on a major front-office role as an active player.

Still, he disagreed with how Taylor handled the transition away from Saunders' leadership. As a result, Garnett simply isn't willing to deal with the Minnesota owner.

"There’s no reason to complain," Garnett said. "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 f— 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."

MORE: Are the Timberwolves cursed after post-Game 7 workout video?

Kevin Garnett stats, records with Timberwolves

There's little doubt that Garnett deserves to have his jersey retired. The Hall of Famer averaged 17.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.4 blocks per game during his storied career, and he was even better during his time in Minnesota.

Garnett averaged 19.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.6 blocks per game across 14 seasons with the Timberwolves. His double-double average remained even after his final season with the Wolves, during which he only averaged 14.6 minutes per game.

Garnett remains the only Timberwolves player to win the NBA MVP. He also leads the franchise in most major statistical categories, as seen below.

Impressively, Garnett's 139.8 win shares are more than those of Karl-Anthony Towns (75) and Kevin Love (47) combined. That's how valuable he was to the franchise during his playing days.

It's also why it's a shame his relationship with Taylor has soured to the point that Garnett will not allow the man to retire his jersey.

MORE: Stephen A. Smith breaks down LeBron James vs. Mewtwo in hilarious segment

Timberwolves retired numbers

The Timberwolves have retired just one number during their franchise's history, which dates back to 1989. That's the No. 2 jersey that belonged to Malik Sealy.

Sealy played two seasons for the Timberwolves from 1998 to 2000 before he died after his SUV was hit by a drunk driver in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. Sealy had attended a celebration of his friend and teammate Garnett's birthday earlier on the night he died.

Sealy was 30 at the time of his death. He finished his career having averaged 10.1 points per game across eight NBA seasons played with four different teams. 

Garnett's number will likely join Sealy's in the rafters someday, but not as long as Taylor remains involved with Minnesota's organization.

MORE: Full list of NBA teams that have never won a championship

Did the Celtics retire Kevin Garnett's jersey?

The Celtics retired Garnett's jersey on March 13, 2022. It was the 24th jersey Boston has retired during its time in the NBA.

Garnett played six seasons with the Celtics, so he was originally skeptical about the organization honoring him in such a way.

"I didn't think that I had the body of work, if I'm being honest," Garnett said on his podcast, KG Certified. "Just because of all the greats that are on there, when you look up and see all the guys that are on those banners — they have an incredible body of work within the Celtics organization."

That said, Garnett was a key force with Boston and helped key the Celtics to their 17th NBA title win in 2008. He made three All-Defensive first teams with the team and won the Defensive Player of the Year award in his first season with the squad.

While Garnett's stay was short, he had a major impact on the Celtics and shaped them back into a contender after years of below-average performance. Boston has been a perennial contender since, so it made sense for the Celtics to give Garnett his flowers for the changes he brought to the organization.