NBA Team Guide
Minnesota Timberwolves: History, Championships & Facts
The Timberwolves joined the NBA as an expansion team in 1989, bringing the league back to the Twin Cities for the first time since the Lakers left in 1960. Through the 2025–26 season they have reached three Western Conference Finals but no NBA Finals.
Listen to Timberwolves Today, the daily Minnesota Timberwolves podcast→Minnesota Timberwolves right now
- Record
- –
- Standing
- –
- Next game
- –
- Head coach
- –
Updated live from ESPN.
Quick facts
| Founded | 1989 (NBA expansion) |
|---|---|
| Arena | Target Center, Minneapolis (home since 1990) |
| NBA titles | None through the 2025–26 season |
| Conference Finals | 3 (2004, 2024, 2025) |
| Division titles | 1 (2004) |
| League MVPs | Kevin Garnett, 2003–04 |
Championship history
Minnesota has not reached the NBA Finals through the 2025–26 season. Its best finishes are three trips to the Western Conference Finals.
- 2004 Western Conference Finals: lost to the Los Angeles Lakers 4–1
- 2024 Western Conference Finals: lost to the Dallas Mavericks 4–1
- 2025 Western Conference Finals: lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder 4–1
- 2004: Won the Midwest Division, the franchise's only division title through 2025–26
Franchise history
- 1989: Played the first season at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.
- 1990: Moved into Target Center.
- 1995: Drafted Kevin Garnett fifth overall out of high school.
- 1997: Made the playoffs for the first time, starting an eight-year streak through 2004.
- 2004: Garnett won the MVP award, and the team reached the Western Conference Finals.
- 2007: Traded Garnett to the Boston Celtics.
- 2024: Reached the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2004.
Franchise record holders
| Points | Kevin Garnett, 19,201 |
|---|---|
| Rebounds | Kevin Garnett, 10,718 |
| Blocks | Kevin Garnett, 1,590 |
Retired numbers
- 2Malik Sealy
- 6Bill Russell (retired across the NBA)
Hall of Famers
Kevin Garnett.
Biggest rivalries
- Denver Nuggets: four playoff meetings through 2026 (2004, 2023, 2024, 2026), with Minnesota winning three.
- Los Angeles Lakers: the franchise that left Minneapolis in 1960, and Minnesota's opponent in the 2004 Western Conference Finals.
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Northwest Division rivals who beat Minnesota in the 2025 Western Conference Finals.
Test your Minnesota Timberwolves knowledge
Play today’s Minnesota Timberwolves trivia on Fan Arch Games: Mystery Player, All-Time Greats and Higher or Lower. New games every day.
Play today’s game →Follow the Minnesota Timberwolves every day
Timberwolves Today is Fan Arch’s daily Minnesota Timberwolves podcast, with new episodes every day on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Go to Timberwolves Today → All NBA Podcasts →Minnesota Timberwolves FAQ
Have the Timberwolves ever won an NBA championship?
No. Through the 2025–26 season they have not reached the NBA Finals. Their best finishes are Western Conference Finals trips in 2004, 2024 and 2025.
Who is the Timberwolves' all-time leading scorer?
Kevin Garnett, with 19,201 points over 14 seasons with the team.
What numbers have the Timberwolves retired?
One, as of September 2026: No. 2 for Malik Sealy, who died in a car accident in May 2000. It was raised on November 4, 2000. Bill Russell's No. 6 is also retired across the NBA.
How did the Timberwolves get their name?
Through a naming contest. Minnesota city councils voted on the finalists, and Timberwolves beat Polars by nearly 2–1.
Where did the Timberwolves play their first season?
At the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in 1989–90. They moved to Target Center in 1990.
Sources
Facts checked September 23, 2026. Live figures above come from ESPN.