Have you noticed? The Minnesota Timberwolves are getting a makeover, and it’s not just players on the team roster. We know that new owners Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore have been relatively clear over their vision to place the Minnesota Timberwolves among the best of the NBA teams. So far, the vision is beginning to take shape.
We’ve seen the Minnesota Timberwolves add the leadership of new President of Basketball Operations, Tim Connelly, to the helm. Along with Connelly, the team went on to hire Matt Lloyd from the Orlando Magic, Dell Demps from the Utah Jazz, and Steve Senior from the Memphis Grizzlies. So there are quite a few new faces in the team’s front office.
But what of the voice of the franchise? That’s been up in the air since the team did not renew the contract of Dave Benz.
Thank you to the @Timberwolves and @BallSportsNor for 10 amazing years. I am blessed to have established lifelong friendships with so many colleagues, players, coaches & fans! Thank you for letting me be your soundtrack for 769 broadcasts next to my brother @jimpetehoops! 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
— Dave Benz (@davebenz) May 5, 2022
So that leaves a huge hole in the upcoming NBA season experience for fans, doesn’t it? Well, curiously enough, it may be on the way to resolution. I have to give a tip o’ the cap to SkorNorth.com’s Judd Zulgard, who first mentioned the possibility of Gus Johnson filling the vacated role.
He cited three names under consideration, but first and foremost was that of Gus Johnson:
"“. . . you have to wonder if Gus Johnson’s name has come up? Johnson did play-by-play for the Wolves for a couple of seasons in the 1990s and is the lead voice for college football and basketball on Fox. The Wolves supposedly want to make a splash with this hire — this will be a theme with owners-in-waiting Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez — and Johnson is a well-known voice . . .”- per Judd Zulgard via July 6 Zulgard’s Roundup"
Since that first mention, Gus Johnson’s name has been linked repeatedly to the Minnesota Timberwolves role. Here is a link to his play-by-play calling for the PAC-10 overtime competition that made him one of my favorite play-callers in basketball.
Zulgard also dropped the name of 62-year-old Kevin Harlin as a name of someone who could be paired up with Jim Peterson in the broadcast booth. Stay Tuned