The Minnesota Timberwolves' multi-year ownership dispute between previous owner Glen Taylor and new owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez was a nightmare. Ultimately, Lore and Rodriguez officially assumed ownership this past June after first purchasing the team back in 2021. Taylor was one of the most unpopular owners, and Wolves fans are thrilled for this new era to officially begin.
However, on Tuesday, Pablo Torre reported this dispute was even messier than we originally knew. Among many things, Torre somewhat hilariously reported that Taylor created a 77-item "Mean Girls-style burn book" in a baffling attempt to kill the ownership sale. Here are a few highlights from the list that Taylor brought to the NBA in efforts to stop the sale.
- Marc Lore had dinner with Kevin Garnett and never told me. (Oh no, Glen, did that hurt your feelings?)
- Alex Rodriguez did steroids. (Not exactly breaking news.)
- Marc Lore and his friend came into the arena with an open bottle of alcohol. (Lore and his friends are indeed of legal drinking age.)
- They disagreed with us about changes that needed to be made to the arena. (Wait, what?)
Keep in mind the dispute was about a legal contract, not an indictment of who A-Rod and Lore are as people. Frankly, NBA owners typically aren't nature's noblemen, and none of the things Taylor brought up are remotely valid concerns. Taylor, trying to rectify his mistake of selling the Wolves for less than market value ($1.5 billion), is understandable, but he went about it in the worst possible way.
To make matters worse, Taylor also requested and got courtside seats to Timberwolves games. Read the room, buddy. Nevertheless, Wolves fans should be thrilled that they have moved on from the Taylor era, and this story is genuinely hilarious.
Timberwolves fans are thrilled about this new era
Torre also mentioned how president of basketball operations, Tim Connelly, only stuck around because of the ownership transition. This isn't very shocking, as Connelly has been with the Wolves since 2022 and was hand-picked by Lore and Rodriguez.
Still, Connelly has helped guide the Timberwolves to two consecutive conference finals appearances, including making bold yet successful trades for Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle. Plus, he traded for Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
Undoubtedly, losing Connelly would have been a tough blow for the Wolves, and Torre's comments should be another reason that Wolves fans should be thankful for new ownership.
The Timberwolves failed to surround Kevin Garnett with much supporting talent in part due to Taylor's poor decision-making, including the infamous Joe Smith salary scandal. Taylor was also a notoriously cheap owner. Garnett's lack of connection to the Wolves was tied to his longstanding feud with Taylor. It's widely expected that Garnett will become more involved after the ownership transition.
Lore and Rodriguez are the ideal new owners. Notably, Lore's tech background and Rodriguez's experience as an elite baseball player make them perfectly equipped to guide the franchise. And since they have been around the team for the past several years, they're well-prepared to officially lead the franchise in this new era.
Both Lore and Rodriguez are dedicated to sustaining a winning culture and are prepared to make a steep financial commitment. Lore and Rodriguez have also discussed building a state-of-the-art new arena, which is a priority as the Wolves have the league's second-oldest arena.
Ultimately, Wolves fans should be pumped for this new era to begin, and Torre's reporting should make fans even more grateful for this change becoming official.