Before the start of the 2021-22 NBA season, long-time Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor announced his plan to sell the team to former Yankee Alex Rodriguez and businessman Marc Lore, starting with them being minority owners first.
To talk about their purchasing of the team, the new minority owners joined News Talk 830 WCCO's Chad Hartman.
Lore shared that before the announcement of the sale was made, he was not aware of just how big the opportunity was in Minneapolis.
Rodriguez added that seeing how passionate, committed, and hungry the fan base is for a championship makes them both excited for their future with the Timberwolves.
"We're like two ten-year-old boys about ready to have a heart attack in all these close games," Rodriguez said.
When it comes to the plan for them to take over ownership of the Wolves, Rodriguez shared that they have been in constant communication with Taylor, meeting monthly to go over the franchise's future.
"It makes communication really nice," Lore said. "We both start from a place of trust, very open and transparent. We lead with kindness and empathy, and that makes us all very comfortable working together."
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Both Lore and Rodriguez stressed that this is still Taylor's team, and it will be for a few more years.
With the Timberwolves playing well over their last ten games, Lore shared that it is great to see the team "going all out on every possession," which has added to the excitement both men have to help the team win.
When it comes to why he chose Minnesota, Rodriguez shared that the state holds a special place for him.
"I've been going to Minnesota for 25 years now, and it's always been a place that I've respected tremendously," Rodriguez said. "The fan base has always been, while passionate, respectful."
He added that his father, who left when he was 10, only saw him play four games in his Hall of Fame career, and they all happened in Minnesota at the Metrodome. Rodriguez said that they were four of the best games he ever played.
One question on most fans' minds with the announcement of the sale is relocation, and when asked about it, Rodriguez again stressed that they are not in control of the team, the Taylors are
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"It's really important to underscore that this is Glen and Becky's team, and they're the sole decision-makers for the next several years," Rodriguez said. "Mark and I again, our job is to be supportive."
The Target Center is one of the oldest arenas in the league, and Lore said that upgrading or replacing it is something both he and Rodriguez have discussed with Taylor and others within the organization.
"I can tell you we've got very ambitious goals, and we are just in the process of getting it all down on paper as well as building the culture of the organization," Lore said.
He added that when information is more concrete, they will share it with the fan base.
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Rodriguez said that long term, their plan is to bring a championship to Minnesota.
Lore added that when it comes to the decisions around hiring coaches, general managers, and other positions, they are both in a "process of learning."
Right now, Rodriguez shared that he and Lore are working to build strong relationships with the players on the team and anyone involved in the franchise. He added that he not only wants to share his successes with them but also his failures.
"I think both Mark and I provide similar [backgrounds], but they're both different, and I think the beneficiary of that is our roster," Rodriguez said. "I've had more than a handful of players reach out to have one-on-one meetings.
"To command them, not only our team, but all around the NBA and in sports, these young men want a better life, they want to create generational wealth, they want to have a ripple effect in their families and communities, and a lot of them are interested in making the world a better place, not just richer."
