When it comes to Minnesota Timberwolves basketball, one player’s name rises above the others. Whether talking about Da Kid, the Big Ticket or The Franchise, Kevin Garnett is the man that’s the face if the Timberwolves’ franchise. Wednesday night, 8 years after leaving Minnesota to win a championship with the Boston Celtics, KG returned home. This video is worth watching:

We’ll have to wait and see whether KG will play another season with the T’Wolves but we don’t have to wait to find out whether he’s instantly the leader of this team. Garnett’s charisma translates into being a true leader.

The other thing we don’t have to wait to find out about is whether he’s still a great defender. His block of Nene’s hook shot in the lane wasn’t just a rejection. Most blocks happen when coming over from the weak side. Rarely does the guy guarding a big man block that player’s shot. While KG guarded Nene, he swatted Nene’s shot off the backboard, grabbed the rebound, then handed it off to Ricky Rubio.

Once they got Rubio, Kevin Martin and Nikola Pekovic back from injuries, the T’Wolves’ offense has been decent. They just couldn’t stop teams. Wednesday night, the T’Wolves’ defense was outstanding. Washington’s box score tells the story of how good Minnesota’s defense was:

It’s great having KG back in a T’Wolves’ uniform. It’s even better watching him mentoring the talented kids on the T’Wolves’ roster. Whether he plays another season or whether he accepts a front office job or whatever new role he takes with Minnesota, it’s great having KG back home.