“Everyone in Minnesota is aware of the picture,” Jefferson says, grinning. “Two superstars within the state of Minnesota; they have been on the highest of the league in basketball and soccer.”
He is proper, after all, apart from one factor: Folks far past the Minnesota borders know the picture.
Jon Krawczynski, now an esteemed senior author for the Athletic, was a 21-year-old Minnesota sports activities buff and aspiring journalist when the Sport cowl was launched in March 2000.
“One of many issues that made that picture so particular was that Kevin Garnett and Randy Moss weren’t simply native heroes to all of the sports activities followers in Minnesota and surrounding area, however they have been vastly fashionable across the nation,” Krawczynski recalled. “And so for an space of the nation that usually will get neglected – you understand, we get diminished on a regular basis as a result of it is chilly right here; folks in different components of the nation assume we’re just a few frozen outpost and there is nothing cool right here – that was one of many first time since Prince that, ‘Hey, Minnesota is cool.’ “
Krawczynski known as Garnett and Moss state symbols, the latter coming off his third NFL season and third straight with greater than 1,300 receiving yards and double-digit touchdowns. Garnett, the elder of the 2 by a 12 months, already had 5 Timberwolves seasons below his belt and two of averaging a double-double per outing.
For the primary time in ceaselessly, Krawczynski famous, Minnesota was on the forefront.
“I believe it gave lots of people round right here unimaginable delight,” he mentioned. “These guys have been their folks, they usually have been turning into stars and lifting everybody up on their shoulders.”
The unique picture was taken by the late photographer Tim Mantoani, who so completely captured not solely youthful vitality but in addition the essence – the enjoyable – of successful.
But it surely was Garnett’s spontaneous suggestion that turned a fairly commonplace, editorial photoshoot on its head that day:
“It was the proper spin to take what would have been a cool picture and make it into an iconic picture,” Krawczynski mentioned. “As a result of what Ok.G. did [with that idea], it truly made these superhuman athletes – that run sooner, bounce increased, are taller, are extra athletic, are wealthier – like sports activities followers of one another.
“What number of Minnesota sports activities followers had their very own Moss jersey, had their very own Garnett jersey, and wore them to video games?” added Krawczynski, who in his personal assortment had a white 21 Wolves jersey and purple 84 Moss. “So now to see every one among them sporting the alternative jersey, that instructed us they weren’t simply these superb athletes, they weren’t simply these famous person personalities however, actually, they have been additionally sports activities followers – and that made them similar to us.”