Minnesota Timberwolves: A Guide to the NBA Team

What are the Minnesota Timberwolves?

The Minnesota Timberwolves, often called the Wolves, are a professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Basketball Association, or NBA, as part of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference ¹.

The team takes its name from the timberwolf, another name for the gray wolf. The name was chosen after a statewide contest: “Timberwolves” beat “Polars” in a vote by Minnesota city councils ¹. For a reader, the simplest way to understand the team is as Minnesota’s NBA representative, with games and supporters connected to Minneapolis and the wider state.

When did the team begin, and where does it play?

The NBA awarded Minnesota an expansion team in 1987, and the Timberwolves began playing in the 1989–90 season ¹. Their first home games were played at the Metrodome. The team moved to the Target Center the following season and has played there since 1990 ¹.

The early years were difficult on the court. The team had losing records in its first seasons, though its opening campaign drew more than one million fans to home games ¹. That contrast helps explain why a team’s importance is not measured only by championships: it can also be a lasting part of a region’s sporting life.

What are the team’s most important eras?

A major turning point came with the 1995 draft, when Minnesota selected Kevin Garnett. The team reached the playoffs for eight straight seasons from 1997 through 2004. In 2004, it won its first division championship and advanced to the Western Conference Finals; Garnett was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player that season ¹.

After missing the playoffs in 2005, the team entered a long rebuilding period. It traded Garnett to Boston in 2007, and he later returned to Minnesota before retiring after the 2015–16 season ¹. The team ended a 14-year playoff drought with its return in 2018 ¹.

The franchise selected Anthony Edwards first overall in the 2020 draft and hired head coach Chris Finch in 2021. The source describes the team as reaching four consecutive playoff seasons, including two consecutive Western Conference Finals appearances ¹. These milestones are useful context for understanding why the team has drawn attention beyond its local fan base.

Why does the team matter to ordinary readers?

For basketball fans, the Timberwolves are a way to follow a local professional team and the league’s wider competition. For people who do not watch basketball, the team is also part of Minneapolis’s public life: home games bring spectators to the city, and the franchise has remained in Minnesota despite an earlier proposed sale that could have moved it elsewhere ¹.

Ownership details can change. The source reports that Glen Taylor’s sale to Alex Rodriguez, Marc Lore and other investors was completed in 2025, following NBA approval ¹. That is background rather than a guarantee about present arrangements; readers seeking up-to-date ownership or schedules should check official NBA or team information.