Wassup, Dawg?
And so another season began, full of promise, full of goals. Freshly signed 126-million man, Kevin Garnett had work to do. There were critics to silence, people to dunk on, and fun to be had. Garnett and Marbury took it up another notch, proving that the future was here - and it was cloaked in wolves' skin. Power slams, vicious putbacks, rim-rockas, soaring tomahawks, nasty sledgehammers, sick windmills - Kevin Garnett was doing it all. Upping his stats in points, rebounds, assists once more, KG averaged a incredibly prolific 18.5pts, 9.6reb, 4.2ast, 1.83blk, 1.7stl. His great play earned him a starting role in the 1998 All-Star Game. This time the fans voted him in. I myself happily voted for him on NBA.COM. The game itself had a great atmosphere. Everybody was watching MJ, who won the All-Star Game MVP. Garnett had that memorable sideways windmill, rocking the ball to his right and propelling the thing through the hoop, screaming aaahhhhhh!! Good stuff.

Clearly, Cherokee Wasn't Ready For the Fun Police...
The Nike Fun Police. Oh man, I loved those commercials! Those were dope, know what I mean? Kevin Garnett spear-headed the Nike ad campaign as the Captain of the Fun Police. These Nike spots were gold, man. Remember the, "your shorts are two-and-a-half inches above your kneecaps. And your facial expressions when you dunk, are VERY limit!" How about, "our fugitive is wanted for callin' ticky-tack fouls - find him!" Or, "CEO's in the cheap seats, fans on the floor - fun justice was served." These commercials were hilarious, and I loved those them. KG's dead-pan delivery and the funny lines were a pure delight. Plus an all-star cast that included Gary Payton, Alonzo Mourning, Jason Kidd, Tim Hardaway, Terry Porter, Damon Stoudamire, and of course, KG's childhood friend Bug. Cherokee didn't make it though. He just wasn't up to it. It's so much fun reminiscing about the Nike Fun Police.

Sonic Boom
The Seattle Supersonics stood in our way as the 1998 Playoffs began. Well, it was more accurate to say that the Minnesota Timberwolves were in the Sonics' way. The upstart Timberwolves took control of the series after winning Games 2 and 3. TBS televised Game 3, and I remember watching the Timberwolves turing on the jets in the fourth quarter, out-playing and out-hustling the Sonics. It was pandemonium in the Target Center. Man, it was a wild finish. Who can forget the POUR IT ON gesture (see photo) made by KG as he emptied the imaginary cup, screaming after a sick dunk. KG and Steph were pumped as they were interviewed by the TBS crew. KG shoved Steph's head, slapping hands and screaming, "Yeah, boy!" And Steph went on to say, "[with] the way we're playin' - we're playin' for the Finals!"

What a Season
The Timberwolves fell to the Sonics in Game 5. In a way, it was demoralizing, since they were up 2-1. But overall, it was a wonderful season - not just for the Minnesota Timberwolves, but for the rest of the NBA as well. We all know what His Airness did in the '98 Finals. The Timberwolves were still an upcoming-and-coming team. And their fans had much to believe in.