Minnesota Timberwolves Roundup: Wolves leading NBA coronavirus study

The Minnesota Timberwolves are partnering with the Mayo Clinic to lead a new NBA coronavirus study, utilizing the expertise of executive Dr. Robby Sikka.

When the Minnesota Timberwolves are at the forefront of the league’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s clear that things have changed in regards to innovation and forward-thinking within the organization.

The Wolves are partnering with the world-renowned Mayo Clinic, who was already a key strategic partner as the naming rights for the Mayo Clinic Square practice facility, to spearhead a league-wide study related to coronavirus antibodies.

We previously highlighted Dr. Robby Sikka’s role in the Wolves’ organizational response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sikka is the Vice President of Basketball Performance and Technology for the Timberwolves, and it’s tough to find a better time to have someone with such an extensive and well-traveled background in terms of sports medicine and all things health-related when it comes to players.

Sikka is also part of the NBA’s 10-person sports science committee and is obviously a major resource for the league as a whole, not just the Timberwolves.

If you’re a new Wolves fan, just know that this kind of innovation is not exactly par for the course for the franchise. Things are on the upswing, and kudos to President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas for creating a diverse and innovative front office.

Additionally, Rosas held a virtual media availability session on Wednesday and spoke to how Karl-Anthony Towns is handling the tragic passing of his mother. Rosas also discussed how proactive Towns was in helping both his home community in the Northeast and his $100,000 donation to Mayo Clinic, back before his mother was even sick.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are clearly many steps ahead of where they were even 13 months ago in regards to innovation, as well as the atmosphere that they’ve created for players to grow and develop within. As much as Rosas talks about “family”, it’s clear that he and those whom he’s surrounded himself with take it incredibly seriously.

Finally, the Wolves opened their practice facility on Wednesday for players to begin working out one at a time. Kyle Ratke talked about that, as well as several other topics related to the Wolves attempting to get back to something resembling normalcy over at Timberwolves.com.

Have a great rest of the week and stay tuned for more offseason coverage, including additional thoughts on the development of each of the Wolves’ young players.