Latest news with #MarcLore
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New Minnesota Lynx governor Alex Rodriguez outlines ‘support' role for WNBA franchise
LAS VEGAS — Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore had to endure a grueling and long campaign to finally take control of the Minnesota Lynx, but now that they have, their plan for the WNBA franchise seems to be to leave it mostly alone. That was the theme that Rodriguez kept harping on this month in Las Vegas as the new controlling governor of the franchise talked about the duo's plans for the team. Rodriguez and Lore took control of the Lynx and Timberwolves earlier this spring after a protracted legal duel with former owner Glen Taylor for the two organizations. Rodriguez will now serve as the governor of the Lynx while Lore will take that role with the Timberwolves. Advertisement But as the two sat next to one another at the Thomas and Mack Center recently, they seemed in agreement that the Lynx have a good thing going and they want to let head coach and team president Cheryl Reeve continue on her way as they learn more about the league and franchise. 'Cheryl's done an incredible job,' Rodriguez said. 'I mean, she's really built a dynasty there. So our job is to give her budgets and let her run as fast as she can.' Rodriguez said the new ownership group intends to take a similar approach to what they did for the Timberwolves over the last four years while they operated as owners-in-waiting. Rodriguez and Lore were behind the decision to bring Tim Connelly in as president of basketball operations and tried to bring energy and new hires into the fold. The plan to change the Lynx, however, seems to be targeted toward the business side of the operation. The Lynx, unlike the Timberwolves, have a long history of success on the court. Reeve has won four WNBA titles in her time as the head coach and the Lynx nearly won another last fall. But there has been little overlap in fan interest, according to Rodriguez. He said there is only a nine percent crossover between Lynx and Timberwolves fans. Advertisement 'With the W, it's been running full speed ahead,' Rodriguez said. 'So our job is to really kind of just get out of the way. Then the business is gonna have a lot more of our hands. We're gonna roll up our sleeves, hire a CEO, bring in a person that Marc and I feel has the same capability as Tim (Connelly), so we can copy and paste what we've done in basketball and do it in business, and then we should be off to the races.' A new arena seems to be on the agenda for the Timberwolves and Lynx. Lore and Rodriguez discussed the need to replace the 35-year-old Target Center, which is where both teams play. The Lynx will share in whatever becomes of that plan. Rodriguez said that there are no plans for a Lynx-specific practice facility. The WNBA has undergone an arms race in facilities over the last few years as more teams open up new practice facilities. The Lynx and Timberwolves have shared a practice facility since 2015. 'I think we're just looking at as we have two franchises, but in whatever we build there's going to be, you know, his and hers rooms,' Rodriguez said. Advertisement For now, however, Rodriguez said he intends to watch and learn, while the league is expected to see drastic change over the next few years. The WNBA and the WNBPA are negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement. Nearly every veteran player will enter free agency after the 2025 season. The league will also add five new franchises, which are projected to start play by 2030. The value of the Lynx has also likely jumped significantly since Rodriguez and Lore first contracted to buy the franchise in 2021. Rodriguez called it a 'hyper growth league.' In Minnesota, however, stability has been a key component of its success. Reeve is a franchise pillar, and the Lynx's 18-4 record is the best in the WNBA, while Napheesa Collier might well just be the best player in the entire league (Collier was just voted as the best player in the league by her peers in 's anonymous player poll). That's what Rodriguez seems to want to lean into. 'We're very excited about this year right now, where we have an opportunity to win a title,' he said. 'Napheesa Collier is a front-runner to be MVP, and we have a fan base that's been embedded there for years and years with four titles. Cheryl has been there for about 16 years, and she's one of one. She's a Hall of Famer. She's a proven winner.' Advertisement He added: 'Honestly, the first year is really getting educated from Cheryl and (president of business operations) Carly (Knox) to let us know where we can be most helpful. But honestly, they're humming, and it's just about giving the support.' This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota Lynx, WNBA, Sports Business 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
15-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
New Minnesota Lynx governor Alex Rodriguez outlines ‘support' role for WNBA franchise
LAS VEGAS — Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore had to endure a grueling and long campaign to finally take control of the Minnesota Lynx, but now that they have, their plan for the WNBA franchise seems to be to leave it mostly alone. That was the theme that Rodriguez kept harping on this month in Las Vegas as the new controlling governor of the franchise talked about the duo's plans for the team. Rodriguez and Lore took control of the Lynx and Timberwolves earlier this spring after a protracted legal duel with former owner Glen Taylor for the two organizations. Rodriguez will now serve as the governor of the Lynx while Lore will take that role with the Timberwolves. Advertisement But as the two sat next to one another at the Thomas and Mack Center recently, they seemed in agreement that the Lynx have a good thing going and they want to let head coach and team president Cheryl Reeve continue on her way as they learn more about the league and franchise. 'Cheryl's done an incredible job,' Rodriguez said. 'I mean, she's really built a dynasty there. So our job is to give her budgets and let her run as fast as she can.' Rodriguez said the new ownership group intends to take a similar approach to what they did for the Timberwolves over the last four years while they operated as owners-in-waiting. Rodriguez and Lore were behind the decision to bring Tim Connelly in as president of basketball operations and tried to bring energy and new hires into the fold. The plan to change the Lynx, however, seems to be targeted toward the business side of the operation. The Lynx, unlike the Timberwolves, have a long history of success on the court. Reeve has won four WNBA titles in her time as the head coach and the Lynx nearly won another last fall. zoned in. — Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) July 14, 2025 But there has been little overlap in fan interest, according to Rodriguez. He said there is only a nine percent crossover between Lynx and Timberwolves fans. 'With the W, it's been running full speed ahead,' Rodriguez said. 'So our job is to really kind of just get out of the way. Then the business is gonna have a lot more of our hands. We're gonna roll up our sleeves, hire a CEO, bring in a person that Marc and I feel has the same capability as Tim (Connelly), so we can copy and paste what we've done in basketball and do it in business, and then we should be off to the races.' A new arena seems to be on the agenda for the Timberwolves and Lynx. Lore and Rodriguez discussed the need to replace the 35-year-old Target Center, which is where both teams play. The Lynx will share in whatever becomes of that plan. Advertisement Rodriguez said that there are no plans for a Lynx-specific practice facility. The WNBA has undergone an arms race in facilities over the last few years as more teams open up new practice facilities. The Lynx and Timberwolves have shared a practice facility since 2015. 'I think we're just looking at as we have two franchises, but in whatever we build there's going to be, you know, his and hers rooms,' Rodriguez said. For now, however, Rodriguez said he intends to watch and learn, while the league is expected to see drastic change over the next few years. The WNBA and the WNBPA are negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement. Nearly every veteran player will enter free agency after the 2025 season. The league will also add five new franchises, which are projected to start play by 2030. The value of the Lynx has also likely jumped significantly since Rodriguez and Lore first contracted to buy the franchise in 2021. Rodriguez called it a 'hyper growth league.' In Minnesota, however, stability has been a key component of its success. Reeve is a franchise pillar, and the Lynx's 18-4 record is the best in the WNBA, while Napheesa Collier might well just be the best player in the entire league (Collier was just voted as the best player in the league by her peers in The Athletic's anonymous player poll). That's what Rodriguez seems to want to lean into. 'We're very excited about this year right now, where we have an opportunity to win a title,' he said. 'Napheesa Collier is a front-runner to be MVP, and we have a fan base that's been embedded there for years and years with four titles. Cheryl has been there for about 16 years, and she's one of one. She's a Hall of Famer. She's a proven winner.' He added: 'Honestly, the first year is really getting educated from Cheryl and (president of business operations) Carly (Knox) to let us know where we can be most helpful. But honestly, they're humming, and it's just about giving the support.'
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Timberwolves 94, Nuggets 83: Terrence Shannon Jr. Throws Down Another Monster Dunk
With yesterday's focus on Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez's press conference to officially announce them as the controlling owners of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx, the attention shifts back to the court as the Wolves took on the Denver Nuggets for their second game in the 2K26 NBA Summer League. There were a lot of notable Timberwolves people in the building for the game. Lore, Rodriguez, Chris Finch, and Micah Nori were all sitting outside. Naz Reid was greeted with a chant of 'five more years,' with the crowd exploding when Anthony Edwards sat down on the right baseline. Advertisement Even Nickeil Alexander-Walker came by to say hello to his former teammates. The Wolves rolled with the same starting five as their first game, including the four players from last year's team along with rookie Joan Beringer. The Timberwolves took a double-digit lead in the first half and never looked back. Terrence Shannon Jr. yet again had the exclamation point on the game with a monster slam late in the fourth quarter that got the entire crowd excited, including Edwards sitting right behind the basket. Shannon spoke to the media after the game and talked about the dunk and the love he got from Edwards sitting behind the basket. 'Ant is always brining the energy. But I didn't think it was that crazy. That's why I just started laughing, I didn't really show no emotion like that. But that's good though, Ant's my boy.' Rob Dillingham was also asked what he thought of Shannon's dunk and said, 'Ain't nothing to think about. Who else is doing that? And he got me an assist.' Advertisement Those assists were a big part of Dillingham's game in this one, as he dished out nine assists while turning it over just two times. He did a great job controlling the Wolves' offense, using his excellent handles to get to advantageous spots on the floor. Add in the 15 points, only behind Shannon's 24, and it was a solid outing for Rob, who struggled with both turnovers and shooting efficiency in Thursday's game. The Wolves won by a score of 94-83 to bring their Summer League record to 2-0. Along with Shannon and Dillingham's 39 combined points, Tristen Newton finished with 12 points off the bench, and Jaylen Clark scored six points on a pair of 3-pointers, along with two steals and a block. Up Next The Wolves continue their Summer League journey on Tuesday against the Detroit Pistons. The game starts at 3:30 PM CT. Fans can watch the game on NBA TV. Highlights
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Saliou Niang with the 2 Pt
What A-Rod and Marc Lore say about owning Minnesota Timberwolves, Lynx The Minnesota Timberwolves are in Las Vegas with rookies and prospects for the summer games, though the biggest event there so far happened on Friday when Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore spoke about taking over as owners of that squad, as well as the Minnesota Lynx. 0:44 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Timberwolves looking to embrace their legacy ... specifically Kevin Garnett
LAS VEGAS — Kevin Garnett's jewelry and validation as a champion came from the Boston Celtics, but he made his name as 'The Kid' and later became a superstar with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He's mostly associated himself with being part of Celtics lore and not with the Timberwolves because of his estranged relationship with the franchise and most notably outgoing owner Glen Taylor. Advertisement But with Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore finally winning their battle with Taylor for control of the franchise, getting Garnett back into the fold is among their priorities. 'We would love to course correct that, because he's so important to our franchise, to that community, to the history of Timberwolves,' Rodriguez said to a small group of reporters, including Yahoo Sports, at a gathering inside Thomas & Mack Center, an hour after being formally introduced as the new stewards of the franchise. Garnett had two stints with the Timberwolves, first being drafted straight out of high school in 1995 before being traded to Boston in 2007, and then returning as a veteran presence for his final two seasons (2014-16). It was believed Garnett's return in 2014 would come with a minority stake in the franchise and perhaps a front-office position, but it never materialized, and Garnett, aside from being part of a group to make a bid on the team in 2021, hasn't associated himself with the Timberwolves. No jersey retirement, no special honors for the man who owns nearly every important Timberwolves record. No return home for the man who won the 2004 MVP and had many MVP-worthy years holding up an underachieving franchise. Advertisement Rodriguez pointed out Garnett's beef is with Taylor and not with himself and Lore. 'We don't have to really bridge much, because we have a wonderful relationship with Kevin, and we have a lot of respect for him, and he has great people around him,' Rodriguez said. "If it's important to our fan base, it's going to be important to Mark and I.' During the playoffs, the Timberwolves' game-night staff showed a hype video of Garnett as a youngster, imploring the crowd to get up and cheer — before the start of a fourth quarter. If the fans' reaction to seeing an old video of Garnett on the Jumbotron is any indication, it feels very important to them. Rodriguez, one of Major League Baseball's all-time greats, harkened back to his time as a New York Yankee and seeing Yogi Berra, Reggie Jackson and Willie Randolph at spring training every year. Advertisement The story of the Yankees franchise can't be told without those names, and that connective tissue helps players understand who they're playing for and the standard they're expected to uphold. 'George Steinbrenner [late Yankees owner] understood that you're playing for more than just the name on the back,' Rodriguez said. 'There's a responsibility that comes with that pinstripe [jersey] and the legacy connectors are so important. So we're going to try to do the same thing here.' Anthony Edwards is the torch-bearer, but in 36 years Garnett has stood above and beyond over other Timberwolves stars like Karl-Anthony Towns, Kevin Love and Tom Gugliotta. During a 10-year stretch (1998-2007) Garnett averaged 22 points, 12.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.4 steals. That type of excellence at his position was only matched by the likes of Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki — players who are synonymous with the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks, respectively. Advertisement Rodriguez hopes to initiate an alumni program of sorts, similar to the New York Knicks' 'Always a Knick' slogan that has them recognizing so many players who've played for the franchise — even if only for a year, even if the time itself wasn't memorable. From the outside it feels like there's a warmth from the Knicks to their former players, Charles Oakley aside. Rodriguez even said he's 'jealous' of how the Knicks honor those players. 'We've had some incredible people come through this franchise, and it's heartbreaking they're not around,' he said.
