Timberwolves Reintroduce Prince‑Inspired City Edition Uniforms with Purple Rain Court Presentation
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The Minnesota Timberwolves brought back their Prince‑inspired City Edition uniforms for the first time this season during their home game against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday, November 15, 2025. The rollout included coordinated on‑court visuals and arena production elements that honored the late Minneapolis icon.
For the first time, the franchise paired the purple jerseys with a Purple Rain‑themed decal at center court inside Target Center, expanding the tribute beyond apparel into the very fabric of the game presentation.
“Timberwolves honoring the late legend Prince with their City Edition uniforms and court tonight! All in the details 👀” — NBA (November 16, 2025)
The Prince collaboration originally debuted in the 2018–19 season through a partnership with the Prince Estate and Nike; that relationship returned for the 2025–26 campaign. The updated uniform keeps its nods to Prince’s signature style — a paisley motif drapes the right shoulder as a reference to the iconic Purple Rain jacket, and “MPLS” appears on the shorts as a salute to the artist’s Minneapolis roots and the region’s musical legacy.
Inside the arena, the tribute extended into the pregame experience: “When Doves Cry” set the tone before tip‑off, house lights shifted to purple, and additional visual touches were woven throughout the evening’s production. The court’s Purple Rain motif marked the first time the team has translated the uniform look into the full game presentation.
The organization announced that these Prince‑themed uniforms will be worn seven times over the course of the season; their November 15 appearance against Denver was the first. More themed nights are scheduled, including a December home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Prince’s commercial and cultural impact remains immense: he scored five No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 — including “When Doves Cry,” “Kiss,” “Let’s Go Crazy,” and “Cream” — and his 1984 album Purple Rain spent 24 weeks atop the Billboard 200. Nineteen of his albums reached the top 10, and following his death in 2016 he became the first artist to simultaneously occupy the entire top 10 of the Billboard Digital Songs chart.
