In 1989, NBA basketball returned to the Twin Cities for the first time since the Minneapolis Lakers departed to Los Angeles in 1960. The franchise conducted a "name the team" contest and eventually selected two finalists, "Timberwolves" and "Polars". The team then asked the 842 city councils in Minnesota to select the winner and "Timberwolves" prevailed by nearly 2-1. Minnesota is home to the largest population of timberwolves in the contiguous 48 states.

The 1989-90 Timberwolves, led by Tony Campbell with 23.2 ppg, went on to a 22-60 record, finishing in sixth place in the Midwest Division.

Known as "the Big Ticket" for his intensity, athleticism, and emphatic dunking, Kevin Garnet was a fifteen-time NBA All-Star who retired with a whole slew of Timberwolves franchise records including points (19,201), blocks (1,590), assists (4,216), steals (1,315), and total rebounds (10,718).

Kevin love recorded 53 double doubles in a row during 2010-11 season. This was the longest streak since the ABA-NBA merger in 1976, breaking Moses Malone's record for most consecutive double-doubles (51 double-doubles in 1978-79).

In a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on March 9, 2012, Rubio tore his ACL and his lateral collateral ligament defending Kobe Bryant. Despite missing the rest of the season, Rubio finished second in Rookie of the Year voting, trailing only Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Kyrie Irving.

One of the highlights from the Timberwolves earliest era was when the Target Center hosted the 1994 All-Star Game and Isaiah Rider won the Slam Dunk Contest with his between-the-leg "East Bay Funk Dunk".

Like most expansion teams, the Timberwolves struggled in their early years, but after the acquisition of Kevin Garnett in the 1995 NBA draft, the team qualified for the playoffs in eight consecutive seasons from 1997 to 2004.

The 2003-04 NBA season was one of the most memorable in Timberwolves history. With a Western Conference-best 58-24 finish, the Wolves set the franchise record for wins, and won the Midwest Division championship under the leadership of coach Flip Saunders.

From his over-the-top stunts to his high-flying dunks, Crunch the Wolf is one of the most beloved mascots in sports. No one is quite sure where Crunch lives, but legend has it he has a den somewhere deep inside the Target Center. He is lured out on game-days by the deafening howl made by Wolves fans.

In the summer of 2000, Timberwolves guard Malik Sealy was killed in a car accident by a drunk driver who was driving the wrong way down the freeway. Sealy's number 2 jersey has since been retired and memorialized with Sealy's name on a banner hanging from the rafters of Target Center.