“Another great atmosphere here, continues to be among the best, if not the best,” said Chris Finch back in mid-April, describing the electric energy at Target Center during a Timberwolves-Lakers postseason clash. Just three years ago, in April 2022, the arena didn’t even crack Campus Sports’ list of “The 10 Loudest Stadiums in the NBA.” Now, thanks to the rise of Anthony Edwards and the team’s transformation into a legitimate contender, the Wolves’ fanbase has become one of the most fired up in the league. So when Minnesota bounced back at home after two tough road losses, the wild crowd reaction? That was par for the course.

In the aftermath of Game 3 of the ongoing playoffs between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Oklahoma City Thunder, the latter team’s head coach, Mark Daigneault, participated in a presser. As he continued speaking, one could hear fans howling! Like Wolves! It’s a rare instance when fans’ noise can be heard during a post-game presser. After all, many of them are eager to leave the stadium once the game concludes. However, even if the Timberwolves fanbase was dispersing, they weren’t doing so quietly. Though Daigneault was doing his best to ignore the noise, he would have gotten a taste of what the Timberwolves fanbase is like.

The win in Game 3 was a welcome one. After all, despite a memorable run in the 1st and 2nd rounds of the playoffs, the Minnesota Timberwolves squad had a bad start in their series against the OKC. The first game was lost by a 114-88 score, aka a 26-point margin. The 2nd game was lost by a 118-103 score, with bad shooting efforts from both Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle. Fortunately, the tide was turned in the recent game, with the Timberwolves winning by a large margin (143-101). Edwards and Randle improved upon their shooting and scored 30 and 24 points, respectively. So, no one can blame the fanbase for being over-the-top with their excitement. The hope that a Timberwolves squad reaches the NBA Finals for the first time has been re-ignited.

Along with the players, the fans certainly brought in their A-game. That sea of white T-shirts cheered and jeered at every shot that was going in, and booed in unison whenever OKC got the advantage. Their displeasure was certainly heard when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drew a foul. The chant of ‘Free-Throw Merchant’ echoed throughout the stadium when the OKC star was attempting a free throw. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been carrying the reputation of being the player who continuously draws fouls for quite a while now, and the Timberwolves fanbase was willing to take full advantage of it.

Having such an enthusiastic fandom behind you could mean the difference between a win and a loss during games. However, they can also create some trouble. After all, if one thing is known about NBA fans, it is that they can sometimes allegedly cross the line in their team support.

Minnesota Timberwolves launched an inquiry after a fan’s ‘racially charged’ abuse towards Draymond Green

Over the years, NBA players have gotten to find out just how charged Minnesota Timberwolves fans can get during matchups. As the recent Lakers-Timberwolves playoffs series was headed to Minneapolis, Luka Doncic said, as reported by Dave McMenamin, that “Going into Minnesota will be a war. The fans are going to be cheering like crazy … We can’t panic”.

The Slovenian might have remembered the ‘chirping’ he had to do with a sole Timberwolves fan during a matchup back in December 2022. However, as the saying goes, ‘One rotten apple spoils the barrel’. While the majority of Timberwolves fans would know not to take things too far when expressing their support, one of them surely spoiled their name only a few weeks ago.

Game 2 between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Golden State Warriors, which took place a little before mid-May, did not go fully smoothly. The Timberwolves released a statement in the game’s aftermath, revealing that one fan was ejected for violating the NBA’s fan code of conduct during the 4th quarter. A second individual was reportedly accused, by other fans, of making “racially charged” comments against Draymond Green.

Green was subjected to catcalls several times after he had swung an arm at Minnesota’s Naz Reid in the 2nd quarter. The Warriors’ power forward was issued a technical foul by the officiating crew, which did not sit well with him. Green committing the foul, combined with his reaction after that, gave some Timberwolves fans the ammunition to attack him with.

The 2nd individual left the Target Center arena before his identity was confirmed. In light of this, the front office went out to do some damage control. It released a statement, stating that “The team is continuing to investigate, and additional action may be taken. The Timberwolves and Target Center are firmly committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and safe environment for all. Racist, hateful, or threatening behavior has no place at our games or in our community and will not be tolerated under any circumstances.”

The incident revealed the uglier side of NBA fandom. Draymond Green didn’t hold back afterward, stating, “I’m sick of the agenda to make me look like the angry Black man. I’m not an angry Black man. I’m a very successful, educated Black man with a great family.” While some of the frustration was aimed at the officiating, it was clear that Green took issue with the crowd’s catcalls.

Thankfully, no similar incidents occurred during the recent game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. But with one more game still to be played at the Target Center, the atmosphere remains unpredictable—anything can happen.