As a nod to Minnesota icon Prince and the Minneapolis sound he pioneered, the Minnesota Timberwolves unveiled the team’s Prince-Inspired City Edition uniforms. In partnership with the Prince Estate, the team revealed the new look, which was created through a collaborative effort between the Timberwolves, Nike and the Prince Estate, at an event at Paisley Park in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Visit Timberwolves.com/30th to learn more about the design elements of the jerseys.
The new uniform will debut on Friday, November 16 when the Wolves face the Portland Trail Blazers at Target Center. City Edition merchandise will be available for purchase beginning Thursday, November 8 at 11:00 pm CT online at Timberwolvesteamstore.com. Fans can also purchase at the Timberwolves Team Store in the Target Center skyway starting at 6:00 am Friday, November 9 and inside Target Center at Sections 138 and 238. Fans can register for merch drop notifications at Timberwolves.com/purple.One lucky fan will win a Karl Anthony Towns autographed City Edition jersey.
Representatives of the Prince Estate and members of Prince’s family evidenced their pride in announcing the partnership with the Minnesota Timberwolves, which honors the inspiring life and iconic legacy of Prince Rogers Nelson. They stated:
“From a young age, Prince enjoyed basketball – as a player and a fan. From his days playing at Bryant Junior High and Central High in South Minneapolis, through countless pick-up games while on the road with bandmates around the world, he enjoyed the camaraderie and competition of the game. This partnership brings together the city of Minneapolis, and more broadly the state of Minnesota, in an exciting effort to uniquely honor Prince. We look forward to initiatives ahead – both on and off the court – that will extend from this campaign and echo throughout the Twin Cities and beyond. Thanks to the Timberwolves, Nike and the NBA.”
The City Edition jersey is a representation of an icon and a team; a jersey representation and a purple celebration for the ages. When Minnesota combines music, basketball, culture and a beloved legacy, it becomes something historic. The blend provides radiant energy, recalls classic memories, and creates a united fan excitement befitting of a Prince inspired experience.
Today’s announcement is about much more than a jersey unveil. It represents the launch of a platform that has been created after many hours of sustainable collaboration with the Prince Estate that will celebrate the legacy of the Minneapolis sound. Most elements of the Timberwolves experience will be impacted at moments throughout the season – including but not limited to game experience, digital content, digital platforms, events and promotions.
The Timberwolves will also recognize and donate to non-profit organizations that advance causes important to Prince and that are actively involved in continuing his legacy. There will be an on-court check presentation to these organizations at home games where the City Edition uniforms are worn.
The actual jersey design incorporates multiple references to the legacy of Prince. The left vent on the jersey bears a paisley leaf in tribute to Prince’s creative sanctuary – Paisley Park. The right shoulder pattern honors the iconic jacket Prince wore when performing “Purple Rain”. The “MPLS” on the left leg symbolizes the well-known Minneapolis Sound that Prince ushered in during the late 1970s. The Timberwolves partial logos on the right leg and on the belt buckle are in tonal purple – the regal color most closely associated with Prince. Tying it all together is the distinctive font, which is reminiscent of the 1980s Prince era.
City Edition merchandise will be available for purchase beginning Thursday, November 8 at 11:00 pm CT online at Timberwolvesteamstore.com. Fans can also purchase at the Timberwolves Team Store in the Target Center skyway starting at 6:00 am Friday, November 9 and inside Target Center at Sections 138 and 238. Fans can register for merch drop notifications at timberwolves.com/purple. One lucky fan will win a Karl Anthony Towns autographed City Edition jersey.
The team is scheduled to wear the City Edition uniforms eight times during the regular season. In addition to November 16, the Wolves will sport the uniforms for home games on January 11 vs. Dallas, February 13 vs. Houston, March 19 vs. Golden State and April 5 vs. Miami. The team will also wear the uniforms January 24 at Los Angeles Lakers, March 12 at Denver and March 14 at Utah.
The City Edition is the fifth of six jerseys the Wolves will wear this season, joining the white Association Edition, navy Icon Edition and green Statement Edition that were worn last season, and the black Classic Edition that was unveiled last August. The sixth and final uniform will be unveiled at a later date. Home teams pick which uniform they wear and visiting teams choose a contrasting uniform within their own assortment.
In the second year of a multi-year partnership with Fitbit, the City Edition uniform also includes the Fitbit jersey patch. Fitbit is the “Official Wearable” and “Official Sleep Tracker” of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota Lynx and Iowa Wolves in a partnership that extends to the court, arena, front-office, Dance Team, and fans.
