in what year did the Minnesota Pipers become the Minnesota Timberwolves?
1968–69 Minnesota Pipers season The 1968–69 Minnesota Pipers season was the only season of the Pipers in Minnesota and second overall season in the American Basketball Association. The previous season, the Pipers had won the ABA Finals, but moved the team from Pittsburgh to Minnesota (which had just lost the Muskies) after the season. But the Pipers were not any more successful in Minnesota, and they moved back to Pittsburgh before next season. The team went through three coaches: Harding, who was fired after attacking the Pipers Chairman Gabe Rubin at the banquet of the All-Star Game. Mikkelsen (the general manager) took over for a while before Verl Young took the job permanently. Hawkins, Williams, Vaughn, and Heyman were nagged by injuries due to long practices, which affected the team, which fell in the Semifinals to the Miami Floridians. Minnesota would not have a pro basketball team again until 1989 with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
1992–93 Minnesota Timberwolves season The 1992–93 NBA season was the Timberwolves' 4th season in the National Basketball Association. In the 1992 NBA draft, the Timberwolves selected Christian Laettner out of Duke University with the third pick. In the offseason, they acquired Chuck Person and Michael Williams from the Indiana Pacers. Laettner had a solid rookie season averaging 18.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, while being selected to the All-Rookie First Team. Doug West continued to increase his scoring leading the team with 19.3 points per game. However, the T-Wolves continued to struggle as head coach Jimmy Rodgers was fired after a 6–23 start to the season. Under his replacement Sidney Lowe, the team suffered a 12-game losing streak in April, finishing fifth in the Midwest Division with a 19–63 record. Following the season, Felton Spencer was traded to the Utah Jazz.