The NBA unveiled a collection of brand new court designs, including one for the Minnesota Timberwolves. These courts debut during the 2023-24 season for the inaugural In-Season Tournament. With the new tournament comes a new trophy. The new NBA Cup trophy is featured predominantly on every court design at mid-court and both free throw lines.

Timberwolves' new court

To be fair, our initial reaction to the Timberwolves new court design was: “Luckily they got a good one.” Compared to some of the other, wilder designs across the league, the Timberwolves landed on a safe design and color palette. Minnesota's court features a calm, yet elegant two-tone light blue court. At center court, a white and navy Wolves logo (seen mostly during white-out nights at Target Center) lays directly over the new trophy.

This look instantly reminds us of the old Finals courts where the Larry O’Brien trophy was prominently displayed beneath the home team’s logo. This design effectively symbolized the importance of the game being played. A reminder to fans and players what was at stake.

Related Minnesota Timberwolves NewsArticle continues below
Adidas AE 2, Anthony Edwards, Adidas
Anthony Edwards, Adidas unveil the Adidas AE 2
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) on the court during warmups prior to game five of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Golden State Warriors.
Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards sends bold message after eliminating Warriors in 5 games

Why a new court for the tournament?NBA In-Season Tournament

Some may wonder why the NBA wanted each time to display a completely new court for the in-season tournament? The answer is “different.”

“The league's creative brain trust began tinkering with a big question: How could they make sure fans would know instantly they were watching a group stage game?” Zach Lowe of ESPN shared.

The league landed on an idea of non-traditional courts for each NBA team. These courts are quite out-there compared to standard NBA courts, the league made it a goal to unify the the teams with the same design template.

The Timberwolves' first game on their new court will come on Friday, November 24 as they host the Sacramento Kings for the In-Season Tournament during group play as members of West Group C. Adam Silver’s new tournament is likely to draw a lot of attention, especially now featuring brightly painted hardwood floors.