Minneapolis-St. Paul – The Minnesota Timberwolves will celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at tonight’s game vs. the Golden State Warriors at 7:00 p.m. at Target Center.
Special programming for the evening will feature outstanding vocalist Jamecia Bennett opening with the national anthem. Grammy-award winning group Sounds of Blackness, which Bennett is lead vocals, will perform at halftime.
Prior to tipoff, players will wear custom Nike Martin Luther King Jr. Day court warm-ups. Designed in collaboration with the MLK Foundation, Martin Luther King III, and the NBPA, the shirt features an inspirational call to action “Now is the time to make justice a reality for all.”
As part of the Timberwolves partnership with AAWOL, fans will receive an exclusive limited MLK t-shirt giveaway designed by the minority-founded and owned business. AAWOL will be launching additional Timberwolves retail items throughout the season that will be sold in the Team Store.
Observed the third Monday of January, the federal holiday asks all to observe as a “day on, not off.” The Timberwolves and Lynx organization will virtually attend the UNCF 2022 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Breakfast featuring keynote speaker CNN Host and Senior Legal Analyst Laura Coates. Staff are encouraged to spend the day participating in community conversation and furthering civic education. The day holds special meaning to Timberwolves forwards Taurean Prince and Nathan Knight who both have Martin Luther King Jr. tattoos. A video will be released on Monday featuring the two talking about the importance of MLK Day and the significance of their tattoos.
“This year, MLK Day feels especially noteworthy given the events of the past years,” said Timberwolves and Lynx Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Tru Pettigrew. “There were, and still are injustices, inequities, and societal conditions that need to be changed. However, we need to be intentional about influencing the change we seek – proactively leveraging our gifts, voices, time, and talents, just as Dr. King did.”
Additionally, the Timberwolves and Lynx Basketball Academy will host its annual MLK Day Classic on Monday. The tournament includes 64 boys and girls teams competing throughout the Twin Cities.
In accordance with the City of Minneapolis public health mandate, fans age 2 or older attending tonight’s game will be required to wear a face covering inside Target Center at all times, except when eating or drinking. For more information visit: https://www.nba.com/timberwolves/know-before-you-go.