Upon the selection of the two finalists, the choice of whether the NBA team would be the Timberwolves or Polars was left up to the 842 City Councils around the state. They rendered their decision and only one task was left: to determine the winner of the contest.
The names of the 17 entrants who submitted "Timberwolves" were placed in a drawing, which was won by Tim Pope of Brooklyn Center, Minn., who received a trip to the 1987 NBA All-Star Weekend in Seattle.
Why Timberwolves?
The Timberwolves also held a public contest for the design of the first official team logo.
Over 2,600 entries were submitted, some from as far away as Norway, Alaska, Florida and California. But it was a Minnesota native who submitted the wolf that Club President Bob Stein described as "aggressive, but not sinister." Mark Thompson, a professional artist originally from Austin, Minn., received $2,500 for his entry. The final determination of the winning logo was made by original team owners Marv Wolfenson and Harvey Ratner after receiving input from NBA marketing exerts, sporting goods companies and television networks.
The first use of the logo was on Sept. 17, 1987, appearing on a $20,000 check donated to United Way bureaus in Minneapolis and St. Paul.