Love and basketball: This Wolves fan’s wedding ring is made of Target Center hardwood

Allie Nelson knew when she married her basketball-obsessed husband that it would be difficult to get him to wear a ring.

“He had said, ‘I’m not a ring guy,’” she said Thursday ahead of watching Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals at home in Lindstrom, Minn., with her husband, Josh Nelson.

“So I thought, ‘Well, what if it was made out of something that he loves?’ The No. 1 thing that he loves above all else is Wolves basketball.”

Her vision: get a piece of hardwood floor from Target Center to make into a wedding band.

With a little luck and patience, Nelson connected with management after the Wolves season ended in 2023 after losing to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference first-round playoff series.

Target Center was replacing the hardwood floor and Allie retrieved one navy blue panel.

“This is indeed a piece of wood from a retired Target Center court,” said Target Center assistant general manager Amy Rahja in an email to the Star Tribune.

Rahja said Nelson wasn’t charged for the panel, adding that the operations manager who helped facilitate the exchange is no longer at Target Center.

Nelson sent the hardwood to a company in North Carolina that specializes in handcrafted rings.

She only had to keep it a secret for two years until their wedding day this past Saturday in Chisago Lakes.

Josh read a card from Allie at the wedding venue before they exchanged vows that explained the story behind the ring she was about to place on his finger. Josh Nelson said he was absolutely shocked.

“She knows my addiction to basketball and the Timberwolves, so I had a feeling something was going on associated with that. But to what extent she actually did? I didn’t have any idea,” he said.

The theme of the wedding was “it’s all fun and games until someone gets married, and then it’s a party.” Everything was blue with touches of the sport they love, from ticket stub wedding invites to the DJ announcing groomsmen and bridesmaids like players entering a game as they walked down the aisle.

They wore custom basketball jerseys for their save-the-date pictures. Invites were sent to Timberwolves owners Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore, though the new majority owners didn’t RSVP.

Josh Nelson wore custom blue Nike Air Force 1 sneakers embroidered with “I Do.” Their wedding program was designed like a game program with lineups for Team Bride and Team Groom.

Allie Nelson said they were prepared to livestream the semi-finals on a projector during the reception if needed. Luckily, it didn’t come down to that when the Wolves beat the Golden State Warriors to advance in the finals and compete against Oklahoma City.

They plan to watch the rest of the conference finals from home as newlyweds with their two dogs, Maggie and George.

The best wedding present ever?

“Wolves in five,” Allie said.