Some big Minnesota Timberwolves news dropped on Thursday morning. Shams Charania of ESPN reports that Kevin Garnett will return to the Minnesota Timberwolves organization in a role ‘encompassing business, community and fan engagement.’

KG’s return will also mean the long-overdue retirement of his #21 jersey sometime over the next couple of seasons.

I was 13 and a massive Timberwolves fan when the Wolves drafted KG, but I had no idea what he would become on draft night. He took the team from a few levels below rock-bottom to a yearly playoff team, even if they did lose in the first round almost every time.

KEVIN GARNETT ARRIVES IN MINNESOTA

I loved the intensity that KG played with, his athletic ability despite being tall was ahead of its and time and I identified with his fierce loyalty to his team and the state of Minnesota.

When I was 17 or 18 my mom was working at a downtown Minneapolis restaurant when she was asked to serve food for the business for an event called ‘Taste of the Timberwolves,’ which was a big-ticket soiree on the floor of Target Center.

That meant I got to tag along as the ‘busboy,’ and meet all kinds of Wolves players. I met Sam Cassell (he was cool), got Rasho Nesterovic to sign a photo for my grandpa (long story), talked to Marc Jackson about his impact on my NBA Live video game (the Wolves had just acquired him in a trade) and, in a photo session, I got to meet my childhood hero, Kevin Garnett.

KG was the epitome of cool, so I tried to come in with the fist bump… but he started out looking to slap skin. At the same moment I switched to the high-five, he switched to fist bump. I laughed, he didn’t and, because I was just a teen, I was very embarrassed.

MEETING KEVIN GARNETT

You know how it is when you are a kid, you go into these things thinking the athlete is going to think you are cool. Maybe you become friends and he invites you to some games! Again, the teenage mind is a bit… loco.

I told people about the interaction but didn’t expect to get a photo of it for proof. But, when they sent out the posed photo, they included this test photo as well showing my awkwardness in all its glory.

Anyway, that meeting produced this uncomfortable photo, which my friends will randomly ask to see to this day.

Dave Overlund, TSM

Dave Overlund, TSM