Press Release

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$100,000 will be donated to Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities to advance health equity

Minneapolis-St. Paul – The NBA today announced Minnesota Timberwolves forward/center Karl-Anthony Towns has been named the 2023-24 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion. Towns becomes the first Timberwolves player and fourth recipient of the award since its inception in 2021. The annual award honors a current NBA player for pursuing social justice and upholding the league’s values of equality, respect and inclusion.

“It is a great honor to be named the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion,” said Towns.&nbsp; “I am proud to have played a role in the passing of Minnesota’s Restore the Vote bill and I will always be committed to supporting social justice causes as that is part of my DNA.”

Towns is being recognized for his work and advocacy in expanding voter rights in Minnesota. Towns played a pivotal role in the passing of Bill HF28 – Minnesota’s Restore the Vote bill, allowing formerly incarcerated individuals the right to vote alongside eligible voting Minnesotans. Towns used his platform and voice in support of the bill, while also spotlighting issues related to mass incarceration. Towns gave his time, participating in community conversations and met with the Minnesota Freedom Fund, New Justice Project, Minnesota Justice Research Center and All-Square, key organizations who helped shepherd the bill through the legislature.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Towns’ advocacy resulted in the passing of Bill HF28 into law in July 2023, following Minnesota Governor Walz’s approval in March 2023, allowing more than 55,000 Minnesotans who were previously incarcerated or on parole, the right to cast their vote. The law marked the largest expansion of voting rights since the voting age in Minnesota was lowered to 18 years old.

Since he first arrived in Minnesota, Towns has made it his mission to not only engrain himself in the community, but to listen and learn from the community and Minnesota at large. His activism has advanced a wide-range of social causes, often bringing to light the humanity in those causes.

As the 2023-24 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion, a $100,000 donation will be made to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities on Towns’ behalf to advance health equity among youth and support the mental wellbeing of Black and Brown communities as part of Towns’ 32 Wellness program.

Towns was previously named a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion finalist in 2022 for his social justice work following the murder of George Floyd.

The award is named after six-time NBA champion and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The recipient will have advanced Abdul-Jabbar’s mission to drive change and inspire others to reflect on injustice and take collective action in their communities over the previous year. All 30 teams nominate one player from their roster to be the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion. The finalists and winner are selected by a committee composed of NBA legends, league executives and social justice leaders.

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Karl-Anthony Towns Named 2023-24 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion

Taylor Nardinger

Gobert becomes first Timberwolves player to win Defensive Player of the Year honors 

Minneapolis/St. Paul – The NBA today announced Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert has been named the 2023-24 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year. This is Gobert’s fourth career NBA Defensive Player of the Year honor (2023-24, 2020-21, 2018-19 and 2017-18), becoming the third player in NBA history to win the award four times, joining Dikembe Mutombo (2000-01, 1997-98, 1996-97 and 1994-95) and Ben Wallace (2005-06, 2004-05, 2002-03 and 2001-02). Gobert is the first player in Timberwolves history to win Defensive Player of the Year honors.&nbsp;

Anchored by Gobert’s top defensive rating in the NBA of 106.6 (min. 25 minutes per game), the Timberwolves finished the 2023-24 campaign with the top ranked defense in the NBA (108.4) after ending last season 10th with a defensive rating of 113.1. The gap between the Wolves’ defense and the second ranked Boston Celtics is equivalent to the gap between the second ranked and the 10th ranked Houston Rockets. Minnesota finished this season with a net rating of 6.3, good for third in the NBA and the best net rating in franchise history. Teams took 6.4% less shots at the rim when Gobert was on the floor this season (94th percentile) and shot 6.6% worse at the rim when he played (92nd percentile).&nbsp;

The 7-1 center wrapped up his 11th season in the NBA and second with the Timberwolves, playing and starting in 76 games this season, the fourth-most appearances in his career and the most games played since he appeared in 81 games in the 2018-19 season. This season, Gobert averaged 14.0 points on 66.1% shooting, a team-best 12.9 rebounds and a team-high 2.13 blocks per contest. His 2.13 blocks were his most blocks per game since 2020-21 (2.68 bpg). He ranked second in the NBA in rebounding (12.9 rpg), second in field goal percentage (.661), second in offensive rebounds (3.8 rpg), fourth in defensive rebounds (9.2 rpg), sixth in blocks (2.13 bpg) and fifth in double-doubles (54).&nbsp;

Gobert became the fifth player in team history to notch 54 or more point/rebound double-doubles, joining Kevin Garnett, Kevin Love, Al Jefferson, and Karl-Anthony Towns as the only players in franchise history to do so. He tallied 38 double-doubles with at least two blocks during the 2023-24 campaign, the second most such games in franchise history in a single season, trailing only Garnett’s 47 in the 2003-04 season. In one of his best performances of the season against Atlanta on April 12, Gobert led the Timberwolves with a game-high 25 points on a perfect 10-of-10 shooting, a game-high 19 rebounds and five blocks, joining Garnett as the only players in Timberwolves history to finish a game with 25+ points, 19+ rebounds and 5+ blocks. Gobert’s performance against Atlanta set franchise records for most field goal attempts without a miss (10-of-10 FGA) and highest field goal percentage (1.000 FG%) while taking at least 10 attempts.&nbsp;

The Timberwolves ended the 2023-24 season with a 56-26 record, the second-highest win total in franchise history. Minnesota secured the third seed in the Western Conference, marking the third consecutive year clinching a spot in the NBA Playoffs, the most consecutive seasons making the playoffs since eight straight appearances from 1996-2004. Minnesota won an NBA-best 37 games against Western Conference opponents, the most wins against the West in Timberwolves history. The Wolves led the Western Conference this season with 26 road victories, the second-most road wins in franchise history (27 in 2003-04). Minnesota finished the season 12-4 against Northwest Division opponents, tied for the most wins in team history against division foes (12 in 2021-22).&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Minnesota Timberwolves Center Rudy Gobert Named 2023-24 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year 

Fans can secure seats starting at $49&nbsp;

Very limited tickets remain for Games 1 and 2 

Minneapolis-St. Paul – The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced tickets for a potential Game 5 of Timberwolves playoffs presented by Sprite will go on sale tomorrow, Friday, April 19 at 10:00 a.m. CT. with prices starting at $49 per seat.&nbsp;

In the best-of-the-seven game series, should a Game 5 be necessary, the Wolves will host Phoenix on Tuesday, April 30 at a to-be-determined time. All fans in attendance for Game 5 will receive a Howl Towel presented by Target. Tickets for Games 1 and 2 are nearing sellout with very limited inventory remaining. Timberwolves.com/tickets is the only place to purchase authentic Timberwolves tickets.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Fans who wish to secure choice seats at the best price can lock-in Full and Half Season memberships for the 2024-25 season, which includes access to playoff tickets at the member rate. Visit www.timberwolves/tickets or call 612-673-1234.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Timberwolves Playoff Tickets for Potential Game 5 on Sale April 19 

Edwards Becomes Fourth Timberwolves Player in Team History to Earn Spot on USA Olympic Roster&nbsp;

Minneapolis/St. Paul – In an announcement made today by USA Basketball Men’s National Team Managing Director Grant Hill and approved by the USA Basketball Board of Directors, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards was named to the 2024 USA Basketball Men’s National Team, which will compete at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, set for July 26-Aug. 11. With the honor, Edwards becomes the fourth Timberwolves player to earn a roster spot on a USA Men's National Team, joining Kevin Love, who won a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics in London, Kevin Garnett who won gold at the 2000 Olympics in Australia and Christian Laettner who won gold at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.&nbsp;

Edwards, who was named to the 2024 USA Men’s National Team Player Pool in January, was a member of USA’s 2023 FIBA World Cup team, where he was named to the All-Star Five with averages of 18.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals in 25.9 minutes per game as the U.S. finished fourth. On Sept. 3 against Lithuania, Edwards scored 35 points in 29 minutes of action, tying Carmelo Anthony for the second-highest scoring total from a U.S. player in a single game at the FIBA World Cup (35 vs. Italy on Aug. 23, 2006). His other USA Basketball experience includes being named to the 2021 USA Select Team and training with the 2021 USA Men’s National Team prior to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.&nbsp;

The Atlanta native wrapped up his fourth NBA season, all with the Timberwolves, averaging a career-high 25.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and a career-high 5.1 assists on the season, becoming the first player in franchise history to average 25+ points/5+ rebounds/5+ assists; Edwards is one of eight players in the NBA this season to do so. His 25.9 points per game is the third-highest points per game average in franchise history. Edwards is just the third player in franchise history to average 25+ points per game, joining Kevin Love (2X; MR: 2013-14) and Karl-Anthony Towns (2016-17). Edwards finished the 2023-24 NBA season with 2,049 points, 430 rebounds and 405 assists. At 22 years and 253 days old, becoming the fourth-youngest player with 2,000+ points/400+ rebounds/400+ assists in a season with only LeBron James (three times), Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson doing so at a younger age (based on age at end of season).&nbsp;

The USA officially qualified for the Paris Games as one of the top two nations from the FIBA Americas zone at the 2023 FIBA World Cup in September. The American men will compete for their fifth straight – and 17th overall – Olympic gold medal.&nbsp;&nbsp;

As part of Group C, the American men will face Serbia on July 28, South Sudan on July 31 and the winner of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Puerto Rico on Aug. 3 in the first round of the Olympic tournament. The 5-on-5 Olympic basketball group phase will take place in Lille, France, before the tournament moves to Paris for knockout and medal rounds.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Timberwolves All-Star Anthony Edwards Named to 2024 USA Basketball Men’s National Team 

Minneapolis/St. Paul – The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has converted center Luka Garza’s two-way contract to a standard NBA contract. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released.

Garza, 6-10, has appeared in 21 games for the Timberwolves this season, averaging 4.2 points on 47.8% shooting, including 30.0% from three and 1.2 rebounds in 5.2 minutes per game. He scored a season-high 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting in just 9:28 minutes of action against the Toronto Raptors on April 3.

The Washington D.C. native saw action in three NBA G League games this season with the Iowa Wolves, owning averages of 36.7 points on 57.4% shooting, including 33.3% from three, 12.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 blocks in 36.0 minutes per contest. Garza scored a season-high 38 points, nine rebounds and five assists against the Cleveland Charge on Dec. 15, after finishing with 35 points, a season-high 15 rebounds and a season-high three blocks against the Charge on Dec. 14. Garza was named to the 2024 NBA G League Next Up Game during the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, his second consecutive season receiving the honor.

The University of Iowa product has appeared in a total of 80 career NBA games (five starts) over three seasons with the Detroit Pistons and Timberwolves, averaging 5.5 points on 48.1% shooting, including 33.3% from deep and 2.3 rebounds in 9.1 minutes per game. Garza has scored 20+ points on five occasions, including a career-high 25 points on Feb. 8, 2023, in Utah.

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Timberwolves Convert Luka Garza to Standard NBA Contract

Fans can secure seats starting at $49 per game

Minneapolis-St. Paul – The Minnesota Timberwolves are returning to the postseason for the third consecutive season. The team announced today that playoff tickets for home Games 1 and 2 will go on sale Thursday, April 4 at 10:00 a.m. CT with a special pre-sale to begin Wednesday, April 3 at 10:00 a.m. CT.

Fans can sign-up for Wednesday’s pre-sale at www.timberwolves.com/priorityaccess. Prices start at $49 per seat.

Fans who wish to secure great seats at the best price can lock-in Full and Half Season memberships for the 2024-25 season, which includes access to playoff tickets at the member rate. Visit www.Timberwolves.com/tickets or by calling 612-673-1234.

The team is in the midst of a historic season, currently third place in the Western Conference. With sellouts the first 36 home games this season, the team is experiencing record growth across all key business metrics including ticket sales, corporate partnerships, attendance, viewership, merchandise sales, and social engagement.

The Wolves have five remaining regular season home games, including vs. Houston Rockets on April 2, Toronto Raptors on April 3, Washington Wizards on April 9, Atlanta Hawks on April 12 and Phoenix Suns on April 14.

For tickets to remaining 2023-24 regular season home games, visit www.timberwolves.com.

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Timberwolves Playoff Tickets for Games 1 and 2 on Sale April 4

Program advances literacy, fostering a love of reading

The Journey School awarded first place, reading more than 356,890 minutes

MINNEAPOLIS and ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Timberwolves, Lynx and Xcel Energy celebrated National Reading Month with the culmination of Read to Achieve. The program, which encourages the advancement of literacy and fostering a love of reading among youth, challenges students (K-5th grade) throughout the state to read 500 minutes over the course of four months throughout the school year.

As the most engaged school, the Wolves, Lynx and Xcel Energy celebrated with Reading Rally Day and emphasized the power of reading with students, bringing a day of fun to The Journey School. Students got to meet &nbsp;Lynx mascot, Prowl, and Timberwolves mascot, Crunch, had the opportunity to select a free book from the Education Station, and listened to stories read by Timberwolves, Lynx and Xcel Energy staff.

As part of the Read to Achieve program, the Education Station powered by Xcel Energy is a mobile bookstore that provides thousands of free books to students. This year, The Journey School in St. Paul took the top prize for most minutes read through Read to Achieve, reading more than 356,890 minutes. In total, 212 Twin Cities schools participated with 10,030 students completing 500+ minutes of reading.

The Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx and Xcel Energy are proud to partner together on the Education Station, a bookmobile that promotes literacy and provides free books to youth across the Greater Twin Cities area. Xcel Energy is committed to positively impacting and serving its customers by supporting causes that contribute to the well-being of the communities it serves. This important program is part of the Timberwolves and Lynx mission to advance the well-being of youth through promoting literacy and education initiatives.

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Timberwolves, Lynx and Xcel Energy Celebrate National Reading Month and Read to Achieve Program

Minneapolis/St. Paul – The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has signed forward T.J. Warren for the remainder of the season. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released.

Since signing an original 10-day contract on March 6 with the Timberwolves (seven games), Warren is averaging 4.1 points on 38.2% shooting (13-of-34) and 2.3 rebounds in 14.0 minutes per game.

Warren, 6-8, has appeared in 381 career games (236 starts), averaging 14.4 points on 50.5% shooting, 4.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 27.1 minutes per game with the Phoenix Suns, Indiana Pacers, Brooklyn Nets and Timberwolves. He scored a career-high 53 points on 20-of-29 shooting, including 9-of-12 from deep on Aug. 8, 2020 vs. Philadelphia, becoming the fourth player in Pacers history to score 50+ points in a game.

The North Carolina State University product has seen action in 10 career playoff games (six starts) with the Pacers and Suns, averaging 9.6 points on 43.7% shooting, 3.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.

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Timberwolves Sign T.J. Warren

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