Minnesota Timberwolves

When the NBA awarded Minneapolis a new franchise in 1989, the city held a public contest to choose the name. Two finalists emerged: the Timberwolves and the Polars. “Timberwolves” won easily — both for its ferocity and for its authenticity. Minnesota is one of the few states in the continental U.S. still home to packs of timberwolves, predators that roam the northern forests. Strong, cunning, and loyal to their pack, the wolf was a perfect emblem for a basketball team in a cold-weather state.

Basketball already had deep roots in Minneapolis. The city was once home to the Minneapolis Lakers, one of the NBA’s founding dynasties. Their name came from Minnesota’s nickname, the “Land of 10,000 Lakes.” But those lakes weren’t just scenic — they powered the Mississippi River’s mighty falls, which drove the flour mills that made Minneapolis the “Flour Milling Capital of the World.” The Lakers’ name tied the state’s natural water wealth to its economic power. When they moved to Los Angeles in 1960, the name stuck — but it was born of Minnesota. The Timberwolves, decades later, restored pro basketball to a state that had already shaped the sport’s history.

The wolf also reflects Minnesota’s heritage. For the Ojibwe and Dakota peoples, wolves are sacred animals, teachers and guides whose survival skills mirrored those needed by their communities in the harsh northern climate. When European settlers arrived — Norwegians, Swedes, Germans, and Finns among them — they brought logging and milling industries that reshaped the forests but also tied the economy to the same wilderness the wolves roamed.

Ownership of the Wolves has also carried a local touch. For years the franchise has been controlled by Glen Taylor, a Minnesota-born businessman who started in the printing and paper industry. Taylor built his fortune by growing a small local printing company into an international business, and he later turned his attention to sport and civic life. His story — from modest beginnings to NBA team owner and philanthropist — fits the Wolves’ identity as a franchise with deep roots in its community.

Minnesota is defined by its landscape. Known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” (in truth closer to 12,000), it is a state of vast forests, rivers, and outdoor traditions. Hunting, fishing, camping, and winter sports are woven into life here, and the image of the wolf — howling at night in the pines — carries deep resonance.

The timberwolf itself is an extraordinary animal. Known more formally as the gray wolf (Canis lupus), it is the largest wild canine in North America. Adults can weigh up to 100 pounds, run at speeds of 35 miles per hour, and roam territories that stretch over 1,000 square miles. They hunt in packs with remarkable coordination, often bringing down prey much larger than themselves, such as deer, elk, and moose. Wolves also communicate through a rich range of howls, barks, and whines — each howl carrying miles across the frozen forests of Minnesota. Once nearly eradicated, timberwolves have rebounded, and Minnesota today has the largest wolf population in the Lower 48 states, a living emblem of resilience.

On the court, the franchise’s early years were tough, but the arrival of Kevin Garnett in 1995 transformed the Timberwolves into contenders. Garnett’s intensity and versatility made him one of the NBA’s brightest stars, and in 2004 he led the Wolves to the Western Conference Finals, winning league MVP. After his departure, the team endured lean years, but today the Anthony Edwards era has breathed new life into the franchise. Edwards’ explosiveness, charisma, and rising superstardom have made him the face of a new generation, as the Wolves aim for sustained playoff success.

The Timberwolves’ badge and colours reflect their identity. The wolf’s head, sharp and modern, is framed by green and blue — colours of forest and water, the natural Minnesota landscape. The star hidden in the wolf’s eye represents the North Star State, Minnesota’s official motto. It is a reminder that the Timberwolves are tied to both wilderness and place: a pack from the north, proud and fierce.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are more than a basketball team. They are Ojibwe legends and Scandinavian settlers, wolves in frozen forests, flour mills and skyscrapers, Glen Taylor’s printing-press grit, Garnett’s fire, Edwards’ swagger, and a fanbase that howls with pride. Their badge is a wolf, but it is also a compass — pointing north, to resilience, community, and the fight of a pack.