Adam Silver

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Last Friday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver visited the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx family. 

That’s a big deal because, well, he’s the dude and it takes about 30 seconds of him talking to realize he’s 250 times smarter than you. 

Silver met with the staff prior to Friday night’s game against the Warriors. He held a Q&A with Timberwolves CEO Ethan Casson before answering questions from staff members. 

Silver also had a conversation with our John Focke. Focke is a very nice guy and he sent along the audio to us writing folks to use for this article. 

Here are three observations from that talk:   

Silver Is A Big Fan Of What Has Been Done With Target Center

The Wolves, along with the city and countless other forces, have worked tirelessly over the last few years on the Target Center renovation. Here we are with the finished product and Silver is impressed with the arena and puts it up against the top arenas in the NBA.

“It’s fantastic, I mean what you’ve done here in Minneapolis is as state of the art as any arena that I’ve been to in the league or anywhere for that matter to watch a basketball game, the accommodations for fans and season ticket holders is just terrific,” Silver said. “It’s a wonderful place to watch a game, the food is fantastic, the environment, and the great folks here in Minneapolis. I love to come to games here.” 

That has to make those who worked on the arena, and in the arena every night, feel good. 

The Target Center is a night and day experience now from even a few years ago. Hats off to everyone involved in that process. 

Obviously, Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the best players in the NBA. There’s no disputing that. 

But when asked about Towns, Silver went beyond what Towns does on the court. He immediately pointed at his impact on the game of basketball with the work he does off the court. 

“I would just say in terms of Karl-Anthony, he and I seem to run into each other all over the place because of so many of the things I do on behalf of the NBA, especially around major national and international charities, there he is walking into the green room and there he is, my friend, in the corner,” Silver said. “And he never tries to draw attention to himself. I think he’s one of those classic guys who does not try to draw attention to himself for the things he does off the floor. It’s just spectacular. He’s a wonderful young man. He’s just got terrific values.” 

Silver also went on to praise Towns’ work on the court, but the fact that Silver immediately pointed at what Towns does off the court speaks to Silver’s values and what he wants NBA players to embody.  

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor is well-respected in the NBA. He served two terms on the Board of Governors. 

But after Friday, Silver and his wife stayed in towns to meet with Taylor and his wife Becky not to talk business but to have brunch.

“I just want to mention one of the reasons my wife came with me on this trip is because we’re going to have brunch with Glen and his wife Becky tomorrow morning and it’s just a warm and personal friendship,” Silver said. “No business will be discussed. We just really enjoy spending time with them and as much my wife loves seeing a basketball game, I think she really she made the trip because we were going to have brunch with Glen and Becky the next morning.” 

It’s crazy. We think of these people in business mode all the time. And it’s hard to think of him having a conversation with an NBA owner and not talking business. But it would be the same as us grabbing a meal with a coworker. With how popular and broad the NBA is, and how these people have to always be on, it’s hard to think of them taking a break for some pastries and orange juice. 

We hope Silver and his wife enjoyed brunch, and the rest of their trip to Minneapolis. 

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3 Observations From Adam Silver's Visit To Timberwolves

NEW YORK, September 23, 2016 – NBA Commissioner Adam Silver released the following statement regarding Kevin Garnett’s announcement today: "Kevin Garnett is one of the fiercest competitors our league has ever seen. He held himself to the highest standard of preparation and performance for a remarkable 21 seasons.  On behalf of the NBA family, I thank Kevin for his sustained excellence and the enormous impact he’s had on the game."

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Adam Silver's Statement on KG Retiring

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Photo Gallery | The Courts Grand Opening

“Frankly, I’ve never seen anything like this… This is truly the gold standard.”

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said what everyone was thinking on Wednesday afternoon.

The Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx, along with Mayo Sports Medicine, held the Grand Opening for The Courts at Mayo Clinic Square.

To help describe how significant this moment truly was, just look at the attendance of Silver. Less than 12 hours before he stood on stage at The Courts in Minneapolis, he was awarding the Golden State Warriors the Larry O’Brien Trophy and handing Andre Iguodala the Finals MVP trophy in Cleveland. That's 751.6 miles away according to the fine folks at Google Maps.

"It feels like less it than 12 hours," Silver joked after being introduced by Wolves radio play-by-play voice Alan Horton.

When it comes to state-of-the-art facilities, Silver knows a thing or two. With his position as commissioner, he’s been able to tour not only all of the facilities around the NBA and WNBA, but some of the best facilities of soccer clubs in Europe and sports organizations in Latin America.

And out of all of them, Silver hasn’t seen anything like The Courts at Mayo Clinic Square. 

In attendance at Wednesday’s Grand Opening was Silver, WNBA President Laurel Richie, Mayo Clinic President and CEO Dr. John Noseworthy and Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges.

This was something that has been in the works for some time. Construction began in February 2014 when the Wolves, Lynx and Mayo Clinic announced a new partnership. But the idea for a facility like this came well before thanks to owner Glen Taylor, President Chris Wright, CEO Rob Moor and CMO Ted Johnson.

The goal was to have the facility in the heart of the city to remain a big part of the local community. Another goal was to have the basketball operations team work underneath the same roof as the rest of the Timberwolves employees.

It wasn't easy, but after finalizing a partnership with Mayo and moving across the street to Mayo Clinic Square, here we are.

“We both are committed to our local community, we’re committed to growing our brands nationally and to a world-class customer service,” Taylor said. “In addition, this new environment will allow us to continue to develop a more efficient decision-making process between our business and basketball operations.”

None of this would be possible if not for the partnership with the Mayo Clinic, obviously. With Mayo Clinic Medicine located literally a hallway away from the entrance of the Wolves' offices, this gives players the opportunity to get the best care in the business in an instant. That’s extremely rare. When you add in the fact that Mayo has called Minnesota home for 150 years and is the state’s largest employer, that makes the partnership that much more special.

The center won’t just help professional athletes, but will also help the Weekend Warriors who need medical attention.

“It’s for weekend athletes as well. It’s for people, for regular people, who need health care,” Silver said. “And I think what’s so unique about this facility is that you see some of the best athletes in the world treated side-by-side with people who have just your everyday injuries and they need to be cared for as well.”

To say this is the end would be a giant mistake. While the Grand Opening is over, the process has just begun with this partnership. The Wolves have had their struggles on the court over the years, and Taylor along with many others in the organization believe that this is another step to right the ship. Having a state-of-the-art facility doesn’t guarantee a team wins, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. It changes the day-to-day mindset. And having the best doctors in the world just a few steps away is an unmeasurable advantage.

“Having just come from a championship, these are how championship organizations are built,” Silver said. “… To us, of course it’s wonderful to see championships, but we have 30 teams in the NBA, 12 teams in the WNBA and not every team is going to win a championship. But every team can operate in a world-class fashion.”

The Timberwolves are operating like that now and Taylor hopes that means big things are around the corner for the Wolves on and off the court.

“Today will be a day that we will look back on years from now as a game-changer in our franchise history... I feel like we're doing all the right things."

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The Courts At Mayo Clinic Square | 'The Gold Standard'

Minneapolis/St. Paul – The Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx unveiled the Timberwolves and Lynx Courts at Mayo Clinic Square today by hosting a grand opening ceremony featuring NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, WNBA President Laurel Richie, Timberwolves and Lynx owner Glen Taylor, Mayo Clinic President &amp; CEO Dr. John Noseworthy and Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges. The facility, a $25 million all private investment, is home to the teams’ new training center, basketball and business operations, the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center and the Timberwolves and Lynx Basketball Academy.

Construction on the project began in February 2014 when the Timberwolves, Lynx and Mayo Clinic announced a new partnership that included plans to develop the training center and state-of-the-art sports medicine center in 600 Hennepin Ave., now named Mayo Clinic Square. Occupying the third and fourth floors of a former movie theater, the 107,000 sq. ft. facility includes expanded training areas and two basketball courts, with the Timberwolves and Lynx each having a primary court. The 20,000 sq. ft. Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center opened in October 2014 and is directly connected to the teams’ training area.

“This is a very exciting day for our teams and entire organization as we open this world-class facility,” said Rob Moor, CEO of the Timberwolves and Lynx. “This training center is a game changer for our organization and is unlike anything you’ll see in the NBA, WNBA or all of professional sports.”

With the opening of the training center, the Lynx are the first WNBA team to have their own dedicated practice space, which includes their own court, locker rooms and training areas. The location of the training center also makes it unique. While many practice facilities are built in non-descript office parks, the Timberwolves and Lynx Courts at Mayo Clinic Square is located in downtown Minneapolis and right across the street from Target Center, the teams’ home arena.

“What really makes this facility one-of-a-kind is our partnership with Mayo Clinic, which combines the gold standard in health care with our elite athletes,” said Moor. “With Mayo Clinic right next door, our players have instant access to one of the most sophisticated and respected medical systems in the world. The combination of our new training center and partnership with Mayo Clinic allows us to develop our players to 100 percent of their ability and is a great asset for retaining and attracting the top talent in the NBA and WNBA.”

The Timberwolves and Lynx former practice facility was a shared single court and training area located below the ground level of Target Center, two floors underneath the locker rooms.

With the Timberwolves/Lynx and Mayo Clinic signing on as anchor tenants in Mayo Clinic Square, the building underwent a separate interior and exterior redevelopment that was privately funded by its owner Camelot LLC. The building was transformed from a former retail and entertainment center into a mixed-use building with restaurants and office space on the first and second floors.

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Grand Opening Held Today for Timberwolves and Lynx Courts at Mayo Clinic Square

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