Contributed By Lindsey Young
He’s a Minnesota fan. He’s a KG fan. He’s a Timberwolves basketball fan. And this season, he’ll be playing next door at Target Field.
They may play different sports, but Minnesota Twins right fielder Torii Hunter and his friend Kevin Garnett have a lot in common. They’ve accepted personal accolades, celebrated comeback wins, endured tough losses, and mourned the death of a teammate.
Now they know what it’s like to return to the place where it all started.
The Timberwolves drafted Kevin Garnett in 1995; two years later, the 22-year-old Hunter debuted with the Twins. Garnett and Hunter both spent the majority of their careers in Minnesota and now they’re getting the chance to finish their careers where they started many years ago.
“To me coming back to where we were drafted — just all the respect and the love that we got from the fans and the city of Minneapolis — it’s amazing,” Hunter said.
As a fellow athlete, Hunter has all the respect in the world for Garnett.
“He came out to play every day,” Hunter said. “He played hard. He lifted everybody up around him. Anything that was going on with him he could deal with, but he wanted to make sure everybody on his team was better. I saw that from the outside looking in. … I love the way he played the game, and he always tells me he loves the way I play the game. We have that mutual respect for each other. I’m excited to have him back, and I’m pretty sure the fans are as well.”
Hunter and Garnett formed a bond during their first stint in the Midwest, and they were able to keep connected over the past several years — even when playing on opposite ends of the country. Hunter recalled his first season with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim; Garnett played in Boston at the time. The Celtics and Lakers played each other in the 2008 NBA Finals that year, and Hunter brought his son, Torii Jr., to support Garnett at a game in Los Angeles.
“The Celtics won the game, and afterward KG stayed and talked to Torii Jr. That’s something [Torii] never forgot. Now he’s in his second year at Notre Dame, playing football and baseball there, and [meeting Garnett] is something he’s always talked about. When KG went back to the Timberwolves, Torii Jr. was the first person to text me.”
Currently in Florida for the Twins spring training, Hunter said he plans to get together with Garnett when he’s back in town.
“Oh yeah, we’re definitely going to hang out, go out to dinner,” Hunter said, laughing. “Chop it up like old times.”
Hunter is a dedicated fan of the Wolves team as a whole, and he has been for years. In one of his first seasons with the Twins, he attended his first NBA game with All-Star center fielder Kirby Puckett. Puckett introduced his young teammate to the Target Center, and they sat courtside. The two attended many games together; Hunter supported the Wolves from that point on.
Even while playing for Los Angeles and Detroit, Hunter kept tabs on his “home” team.
“I always wondered how the Timberwolves were doing,” he said. “There was always something special about Minnesota—about the fans, about the teams there. It was a special place to my heart, and that’s why I had to come back. I had to get that fix—that true love from the Minnesota fans.”
It seemed appropriate that Hunter attended the Timberwolves game the evening he re-signed with the Twins (Dec. 3). Hunter loved being back at the Target Center again, feeling all the fan energy and excitement for a young Wolves squad. When Garnett waived his no-trade clause in Brooklyn and returned to Minnesota in February, Hunter knew it was a key move for the team.
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Sure, KG might not score as much as he did in his first stint with the Wolves. But his presence means so much more than minutes or point totals. Hunter explained:
“KG knows how to play the game … all the experiences he’s had in the NBA, and then becoming an MVP, he can impart all these things to the young guys, help them get better. Take [rookie] Andrew Wiggins — he was a star in college, and now he’s going to be a star in the NBA, because a guy like KG who’s been there before can kind of show him the way … It’s very important for KG to be [in Minnesota].”
And what can Timberwolves fans expect for the upcoming seasons? Hunter is just as excited as everyone else. As a fellow veteran, he is confident that Garnett’s role on the team will push the Wolves exactly where they want to go. To Hunter, the potential and future of the Timberwolves franchise is clear—especially if Garnett signs a new deal. If KG returns next season, Hunter assures fans that he and Wiggins will lead the Wolves to the post season.
“There’s no doubt about it. Wiggins is bound to be up for NBA MVP, too,” Hunter emphasized. “With KG at his side, I promise you—[Wiggins] will be a force to be reckoned with. We all saw glimpses of that this season, and we all know what he’s capable of.”
In addition to seeing where the Wolves go with Garnett on the court, Hunter fully expects to see his friend follow through on a desire to have ownership of the team. A post-career plan is just one more area the two athletes relate with each other on, and Hunter can’t wait for the next adventure.
“That’s one thing I’ve always said; I would like ownership. I’d love to put my own team out there and root for my team,” said Hunter. “If it happens to be me and KG owning a part of the Timberwolves … then let’s do it.”