Glen Taylor

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Minneapolis/St. Paul – The following is a statement from the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx regarding the ownership of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx:

“We are pleased to officially welcome Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx family. Together with Marc and Alex, we take another step forward in building a world-class organization both on and off the court.” – Glen Taylor

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Statement From Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx On Ownership

Minneapolis-St. Paul – The Minnesota Timberwolves issued the following statement from owner Glen Taylor regarding Kevin Garnett’s selection as a member of the Class of  2020 to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.  

“This is an honor so well deserved. We congratulate Kevin on being selected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. From the day we drafted him in 1995, we knew there was something special about him that Minnesota had never experienced before. I’ve watched Kevin grow on and off the court and will forever be grateful for his contributions to the Timberwolves organization. He was beloved by our fans in a way that only few players experience and will always have a place at Target Center. To be elected in his first year of eligibility validates the impact he had on basketball in Minnesota, the NBA, and around the globe. We are so happy for him to receive this recognition.” 

In 13-plus seasons in Minnesota, Kevin Garnett led the Timberwolves to the playoffs eight consecutive seasons, culminating in an appearance in the 2004 Western Conference Finals, and he holds a multitude of team records. 

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Timberwolves Statement on Kevin Garnett’s Selection to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

The following are team statements regarding the departure of Team President Chris Wright. Earlier Monday, Wright was named CEO of the MLS franchise, Minnesota United FC. Wright is departing the Timberwolves and Lynx after 26 years of service in a variety of executive roles.     Ethan Casson, CEO  “Over the past few decades, Chris has made countless contributions to the Timberwolves and Lynx franchises. He has lead the organization with pride and resilience, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to the fans and community. A constant fixture in the corporate sector, Chris developed cornerstone partnerships with brands such as Target and Mayo Clinic, among others. Throughout his tenure with the team, Chris has worked tirelessly as a steward for the Timberwolves and Lynx organization and will always be a member of the Timberwolves and Lynx family. I wish him all the best as he begins his next venture with the Minnesota United FC.”     Glen Taylor, Majority Owner   “Chris will be an extraordinary leader for the Minnesota United FC franchise. Given his deep experience in helping guide our franchises over the past 26 years, he is well-equipped to lead the new MLS franchise. With his lifelong passion for "the world's game", it is fitting that Chris's path has brought him back to the sport where his journey began. I would like to thank Chris for his service to our teams as he has lead the Timberwolves and Lynx through years of adversity and success. He was always dedicated to providing Minnesota with an organization they could be proud to call their own. I wish him well on his next adventure. “

Wright's last day with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx will be October 5th.  

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Timberwolves and Lynx Statements Regarding the Departure of Team President Chris Wright

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Minneapolis/St. Paul – NBA Board of Governors Chairman and Timberwolves majority owner Glen Taylor issued the following statement today regarding the NBA’s decision to relocate the 2017 NBA All-Star Game:

“We fully support the NBA’s decision today to relocate the 2017 NBA All-Star Game from Charlotte. While it is important to note that the league continues its dialogue with Charlotte, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx stand firm with the NBA to uphold our values of inclusivity which has made our league so successful on a global stage.”

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Timberwolves Statement on 2017 NBA All-Star Game

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Gallery | Wolves Introduce Thibodeau And Layden At Press Conference

On Tuesday afternoon at the Target Center, the Minnesota Timberwolves held a press conference to introduce President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach Tom Thibodeau and General Manager Scott Layden. Owner Glen Taylor was also in attendance.

Here are some of the highlights from the press conference.

For a guy who is always very serious on the bench, Thibodeau was very relaxed and even smiled a few times during the presser.

He started off taking us on a trip down memory lane, back when he was an assistant coach in Minnesota under Bill Musselman from 1989-91.

He said the fan support, despite not a lot of team success early, was great in the early years of the franchise.

“When I think about Minnesota Timberwolves basketball, I go back to the beginning and those first couple of years were incredible,” Thibodeau said. “We were an expansion team, the first year, we played in the Metrodome. The team played extremely hard, they played extremely smart and extremely together. I thought by being here, that resonated with the Minnesota fans. So the last three games of that season in the Metrodome, we had 45,000, 47,000, 49,000.”

Thibodeau is trying to build the same excitement again. This time he won’t rocking the mullet-styled haircut (RIP), but he will be bringing 20+ more years of coaching.

With talented players like Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine and Ricky Rubio, it’s easy to look ahead and say ‘playoffs’ next year. That’s probably the goal with this team, but Thibodeau wants to players and the organization to do things the right way.

“The big thing with me is I don’t want our players looking backwards and I don’t want them looking ahead,” Thibodeau said. “I want them concentrating on what they have to do each and every day. If we are doing the right things every day, the results will take care of themselves. I don’t want to put a lid on what we can do, or what we can’t do.”

Even with the talent, the team has a long ways to go and Thibodeau recognizes that. Even with uber athletes like Towns, Wiggins and LaVine, along with defensive-minded Rubio, the Wolves allowed 106 points per game, seventh-worst in the league.

You better believe Thibodeau, one of the best defensive coaches in the history of the league, will be looking to change that sooner rather than later.

“We are close offensively right now, I think we have to get our turnovers down to creep into the top 10 and move forward from there,” Thibodeau said. “Defensively we have a lot of room for improvement, that is an area we do have to correct.”

The next step for Thibodeau will be to prepare for the NBA Draft and free agency.  But first, he’s trying to reach out to his players. Something that’s easier said than done now that the offseason has started.

“I am trying to track them all down now, so I have to get the real phone numbers,” Thibodeau joked. “Right now I am probably on the fourth number but I will get there. Trust me I will get there”

Scott Layden comes in to join the Wolves as general manager after being an assistant general manager in San Antonio for the last four years.

What makes Layden especially rare and valuable is that he spent time during his career as an assistant coach while also spending time in the front office – something Thibodeau will be doing for the first time in his career.

Layden thinks he can help out with that transition.

“I think the collaboration and relationship with be worked on every day,” Layden said. “There will be constant communication and we are looking forward to that. This is an exciting time, I think the fact that we have this world class facility to train in with the relationship with the medical side and how close that is, it puts us in a unique place in the NBA.”

Who between the two will have the final say on a decision? The answer is ultimately Glen Taylor, since it’s his money, but Layden said that he doesn’t see that situation surfacing given the past relationship that Thibodeau and Layden have.

“We have this saying where you go in a room, you debate, you disagree, but the most important thing is coming out of the room committed, and we will be committed. I certainly have known Coach [Thibodeau] a long time, it is about the relationship, it is about doing this together,” Layden said. “…That is not to say that every day is easy or that we agree on everything, that is not how it is, but we are going to commit to what is best for the franchise.”

Layden is committed to finishing out the playoffs with the Spurs, which could end up in a championship ring. After that, he’ll arrive in Minnesota, working to deliver the Wolves a ring in his time here.

Taylor discussed something interesting to open up the press conference. He talked about windows.

He said that in his time with the Wolves, they’ve had two windows to potentially be great. He thinks this is the third and that’s why he went out and got the best coach on the market.

“You only get this unique opportunity to go for the top every once in a while in your lifetime. With the Timberwolves, we had that when we got Kevin [Garnett], we got Stephon [Marbury] and we got Tom Gugliotta – three young guys that I thought we were going to build a team for the future,” Taylor said. “It didn’t work out that particular time. The second time was when we brought in [Latrell] Sprewell and Sam Cassell to play with Kevin [Garnett] and the other guys – we had everything going. Again, it was injuries.”

With Taylor making these moves, he wanted fans to know how invested he still is with this team, even at the age of 75.

“Some want to know what my commitment is. So I think I‘ve answered that commitment,” Taylor said. “I’m with these guys for the long run. This is not going to be a one-year, two-year, three-year, four-year, five-year deal. In my mind, this is going to be longer than that and I’m committed to this team over that period of time.”

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Takeaways From Tuesday's Introductory Press Conference

Editor's Note: After Tuesday’s press conference introducing Tom Thibodeau and Scott Layden at the Target Center, Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor chatted with Kyle Ratke about the hiring process and what he expects moving forward. 

KR: After it was reported an interview with Tom had been scheduled, everything moved pretty fast from there. For you, what made Thibodeau such an intriguing candidate for head coach and president of basketball operations?

GT: I think just his history. I think it was pretty well known what he does. That was all out in the open. Also, when we were looking, when Flip (Saunders) was looking for a coach and (Thibodeau) got laid off from his job and spent some time talking with him, I didn’t do that, but Flip shared with me all the things that he liked about him. It was consistent with what we wanted. He saw great things. Tom said at that time he needed a year to take off to just get away from basketball for a year. He was going to get paid during that year. He was high on my list before I started (the search), but it was probably first based upon others, what others thought of him. But once I met with him, it was consistent from what everybody else said.

KR: With everything moving so fast with getting him signed, was some of that because of how many openings there might be around the league for head coaches? 

GT: I knew there were going to probably be seven other teams that would call him. I just wanted to be the first one.

We had to wait until our season was done and I had to talk to Sam (Mitchell) first and then I gave him a call. I wanted to find out if he was interested, because I’d be wasting my time, even if I was interested. I didn’t want to talk him into this. After talking with him for a very short time, I could see that this was one of the teams that he would like to come to. I didn’t have to talk him into coming here. It was a destination that he wanted and I wanted him. I think that made our conversations really go fast.

KR: You talked earlier about windows and opportunities for the franchise. There was Kevin Garnett and Stephon Marbury. Then Garnett, Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell. You have another young and talented big man with Karl-Anthony Towns. You went out and got your guy very quickly. I'm guessing you're viewing this as another championship window for the team?

GT: Absolutely, and I especially think there’s probably some great young coaches out there, assistant coaches today, who are going to become great coaches. Of course we put them in the group and we looked at them, but I just thought now is not the time to be testing with a new coach but to go with somebody that we understand, that’s seasoned, that wants the job, so it’s different than what I’ve previously done.

KR: Early on it sounded like Thibodeau accepted the deal and brought Layden with him, but from what I understood from the press conference, you hired them seperately? 

GT: That’s exactly right. I interviewed them both and I told them to both talk to each other. I told them exactly my expectations in making sure you guys are committed to this and I offered them a contract at the exact same time and they both had to make up their mind the same day.

KR: This is a special day for you and you mentioned that you gave both Thibodeau and Layden long contracts, telling the fan base you are in it for the long haul. How exciting and special is this day for you knowing that you got two of the best guys on the market?

GT: It’s special because we had that one great playoff run and it looked like we were going to get to the championship and then with injuries we didn’t. It was so exciting during that time and I want to get back there. It’s not only for myself, it’s for our fans and our players.

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Glen Taylor Talks Thibodeau And The Future Of The Wolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves were the hottest commodity for coaches on the open market.

The team has this year’s Rookie of the Year in Karl-Anthony Towns. There’s Andrew Wiggins, last year’s Rookie of the Year. Ricky Rubio is one of the best defensive point guards in the NBA. And don’t forget about Zach LaVine, who is oozing with potential.

The team has drawn comparisons to the young Oklahoma City Thunder team highlighted by Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden.

The top coaching candidate on the market was Tom Thibodeau. Thibodeau took a year off after a great run as head coach with the Chicago Bulls, piling up a 255-139 record over five seasons while reaching the playoffs in every season. Thibodeau was named the Coach of the Year in 2010-11 and is also an assistant coach with the USA Basketball Team.

Seldom does the best team match up with the best coach on the open market. In fact, that almost never happens.

It did, though, on Wednesday evening when the Timberwolves announced that they had hired Thibodeau as the team’s new President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach.

“(Thibodeau) is the best coach available on the market right now,” ESPN NBA writer Brian Windhorst said. “The Wolves have the best young roster that we’ve seen probably since the Thunder.”

You could look at his resume for days. Not just aimlessly looking – but reading. That’s how long it is.

Before arriving as an assistant in Boston in 2007, the Celtics ranked 24th in the league in opponent field goal percentage. Then Thibodeau arrived and turned the Celtics into a top-five defense, helping them win the championship in 2008.

In four of his five seasons with Chicago, the Bulls finished top-three in both points allowed and defensive field goal percentage.

Thibodeau pays great attention to detail, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

The Wolves finished 23rd in the NBA in opponent field goal percentage (46.4 percent) and 16th in points allowed per game (102.5) last season.

“They were in the mid-20s defensively this year,” Windhorst said. “I think with Tom Thibodeau and the personnel they have, they could be a borderline top-10 defensive team next year.”

Wiggins and Towns, especially, certainly have the tools to be great defenders. Thibodeau, as coach and President of Basketball Operations, knows it’s in his best interest on and off the court to make sure they turn into just that.

When Kevin Garnett was on the floor last season, although it was only 38 games, the Wolves were much better defensively. Some of it had to do with Garnett being in the right place at the right time. A lot of it had to do with communication.

Two of the best defensive minds in basketball history (if Garnett returns in 2016-17) will be reunited after spending 2007-2010 together in Boston.

Thibodeau’s first professional coaching gig actually started in Minnesota. After stints at Salem State University and Harvard, Thibodeau joined the Wolves as an assistant coach in 1989 under head coach Bill Musselman. He remained with the Wolves until 1991.

While he’s risen up the ranks since then, so has his hair (sorry, Coach).

Glen Taylor and the Wolves are going for it.

Taylor recognizes that this is the most talent the Wolves have had on a team since probably the 2003-04 season with Garnett, Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell.

This team is young, though, and with that comes being impressionable. That’s natural. By hiring Thibodeau, the Wolves brought in one of the most-respected coaches in the business. He will instill the right culture – a winning one – for these players.

The playoffs should be the goal for the 2016-17 season. It’s easier said than done. This is a team that only won 29 games last season, 12 games back from the eighth seed in the West. But with the core of the team improving and the addition of Thibodeau, for the first time since Kevin Love was on the team, playoffs are a very, very real option.

And then there’s the upcoming draft and free agency. By hiring Thibodeau now rather than later, the team has set itself up nicely for the offseason. Free agents won’t have to wonder who will be in charge in Minnesota when making a decision on where to sign. It will also give Thibodeau a chance to scout for the upcoming draft where the Wolves will have a pick somewhere in between five and eight with, of course, a chance of moving up.

This is the most important offseason the team has had in quite a while. This is the most talent the team has had in nearly 12 years. And the team has one of the best coaches in the league at the helm and one of the most-respected basketball minds running Basketball Operations.

That all has to sound pretty good if you’re a fan of the Wolves.

“I’m telling you,” Windhorst said. “If I lived in Minneapolis and could afford it, I would invest in season tickets.”

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The Best Coach For The Best Job

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