| Do some sports teams' names stump you? | | | | record. |
| Oftentimes, we hear a team's name over and over | | | | However, as time progressed, the Timberwolves grew |
| again, without knowing for certain, what it is. For | | | | from pups to full-grown canines. During the 2003-2004 |
| instance, there is the Minnesota Timberwolves. We | | | | season, they achieved their most success. Key |
| know that timber includes trees that produce wood for | | | | players included Kevin Garnett, Sam Cassell, and Latrell |
| building houses and furniture. We know that wolves | | | | Spreewell. At the end of the season, the |
| are wild mammals. Are Timberwolves wolves that live | | | | Timberwolves had earned a 58-24 record (.707 |
| in forests? | | | | winning percentage). This was the franchise's top |
| Actually, a timberwolf is another name for the grey | | | | record ever, and the best Western Conference |
| wolf. A distant relative of the domestic dog, | | | | record that year. |
| timberwolves indeed live in forests. However, they also | | | | In the playoffs, the Timberwolves pounced on the |
| reside in other areas such as mountains, grasslands, | | | | Denver Nuggets as if they were chicken nuggets, |
| and even urban regions. A "name the team" contest | | | | winning the series easily (4-1). The Timberwolves then |
| named the Minnesota Timberwolves as such, as the | | | | outlasted the Sacramento Kings in the next round of |
| name defeated the other finalist, "Polars." | | | | the playoffs (4-3). Unfortunately, the Timberwolves |
| "Timberwolves" is quite appropriate, considering that | | | | then faced the mighty Los Angeles Lakers in the |
| more timberwolves live in Minnesota than in any of the | | | | Western Conference finals. The Lakers were simply |
| other continental U.S. states. Here are some interesting | | | | too potent and too experienced in the playoffs. They |
| wolf facts:o Wolves are the biggest wild canineo | | | | defeated the Timberwolves relatively easily (4-2). |
| Wolves have 42 teetho Wolves' jaws can create up | | | | Unquestionably, Kevin Garnett has been the |
| to 1,500 pounds-per-square-inch of pressureo Wolves | | | | Timberwolves' most significant player during the |
| do little chewing of foodo Wolves' liter sizes range | | | | franchise's short history. The Timberwolves picked |
| from 4-7 pups | | | | Garnett as the fifth overall selection during the 1995 |
| Two decades after professional basketball had left | | | | NBA draft. Then in 2004, Garnett captured the MVP |
| Minnesota, the state welcomed the Timberwolves as | | | | award of the NBA. Garnett was the first player in |
| an expansion team. The Lakers and two ABA teams | | | | over two decades that an NBA team directly drafted |
| had formerly called Minnesota home. Unfortunately, the | | | | from high school, into the NBA. In addition to leading the |
| Timberwolves lost their franchise opener of the | | | | Timberwolves to the NBA Finals in 2004, Garnett won |
| 1989-1990 season, to the Seattle Supersonics: 106-94. | | | | a gold medal at the Summer Olympics (2000), and |
| Unfortunately, the season's final result was also | | | | won an NBA title with the Boston Celtics (2008). |
| unfavorable, with the Timberwolves earning a 22-60 | | | | |