Lindsey Young
Contributor
We tend to hold an unspoken rule that it’s impolite to ask someone’s age. That rule doesn’t resonate with Judi Gleeman, however, because she loves to tell anyone her age—it’s even listed on her Twitter profile.
Judi is an incredibly young 66 years old, and proud of it. Oh, and she’s proud of another thing, too—her beloved team, the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“For my 66th birthday, my son’s girlfriend got me [Andrew] Wiggins and [Karl-Anthony] Towns t-shirts!” Gleeman exclaimed.
She also bought herself a pair of Timberwolves earrings to demonstrate her team spirit. Although she lost one a while back, Judi still wears the other with pride.
For this Fan of the Pack, it all started with attending a game at the Metrodome during the Wolves’ 1989 inaugural season (which was, in case you’re wondering, six years before Towns was born).
When the team moved into the Target Center, Judi’s brother had season tickets only a few rows behind former general manager Kevin McHale’s seats. As a single mother at the time, Judi loved the chance to bring her 10-year-old son to games and spend that time bonding with him.
Many Minnesota sports fans will recognize her son, Aaron Gleeman, who is now an NBC Sports baseball writer, Rotoworld senior editor and “Gleeman and Geek” host on KFAN1003, among other things.
“But he still likes the NBA,” Judi assured.
“It’s great,” Aaron said of his mother’s love for the team. “She was always very supportive of me growing up when it came to sports—first playing them and then writing about them—and her love of the Timberwolves especially was a nice way for us to bond a lot.”
And while Aaron’s natural love of sports may have helped Judi gain a stronger general interest, he says her Timberwolves fandom is completely her own.
“She got hooked in the early Kevin Garnett days and has never looked back,” Aaron explained, “which is saying a lot considering how many rough years there have been [for the Wolves].”
While some fans may have wavered during those times, Judi never considered it. She will tell you that, whether at home or at the Target Center, she watched every game until the end and stuck with the Wolves through ups and downs.
“The thrill of an NBA game is the best there is!” Judi said. “I’ve gone to games where they didn’t win, but seeing them get a win – there’s no bigger thrill from my ‘boys!’”
Judi has a loving-life attitude that permeates everything she does, and she couldn’t be more excited about the direction the 2015 Wolves squad is heading. When asked what she is most looking forward to for the current season, Judi said she’s excited for winning games and the anticipation of future wins.
“There’s no limit to the upside,” she said. “Hey—we have Wiggins and Towns, two No. 1 picks!”
This year is particularly special for the veteran fan, as she sat in the crowd during Flip Saunders’ time in Minnesota—both his first and second runs as head coach. Since Saunders’ passing in October, Judi joins the entire Pack in mourning the loss and looking for the 2015-2016 season to honor his memory.
“Let’s hope we can get to the playoffs as a wonderful tribute to Flip with the team that he built,” Judi said.
And of course, she finds it fitting that Kevin Garnett is back with the Timberwolves to end his career. He is, after all, her favorite player.
Judi has been watching Garnett from the beginning—since Minnesota “raised him from a pup,” as she likes to say. For a fan who once drove to Milwaukee to watch a road game wearing her KG MVP t-shirt, it could not be more perfect to see No. 21 back on the sidelines.
The Garnett theme even transfers to her game attendance, as Judi explained that her family has gifted her with “Big Ticket” packages to games for her last four birthdays. Each season she has tickets to seven games, and those seven nights are ones she looks forward to all year.
“My feeling is one needs to sit close enough to hear the squeak of the players’ shoes,” Judi said.
Just like she doesn’t plan to retire anytime soon (she vows to work until 2020), Judi doesn’t plan on slowing her game attendance or support of the Wolves, either—and she would love to share the fun with all other Fans of the Pack.
If you’re at a game any time soon, stop by Section 126 and see if Judi is there; she’ll be the one cheering her heart out, proudly wearing a single Timberwolves earring.