A viral dunk, a buzzer-beater, or a flashy block can all help elevate an NBA player into the spotlight. Kids today seem more inclined to be fans of players than teams. There are tons of Luka Doncic fans who aren’t necessarily all-in on the Dallas Mavericks. The same can be said for Trae Young and Ja Morant. Conversely, some people are fans of wildly entertaining teams to watch, like the Golden State Warriors and the Brooklyn Nets.
From a national standpoint, the Minnesota Timberwolves have been off the radar for quite some time. There are many reasons for this, perhaps none more important than that they haven’t played much winning basketball in over a decade. With that possibly changing, could the Wolves become one of the cool teams to play for?
Start with the roster. Anthony Edwards had one viral highlight-reel dunk after another in his rookie season. The No. 1-overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft provided plenty of entertainment for basketball fans and those who go viral-video hunting for NBA clips. On top of that, Ant was a walking soundbite in his rookie campaign, dishing out one hilarious quote after another.
Juancho can shoot the piss off the ball, shoot the hell out the ball. I tell Juancho, ‘If you catch the ball open and don’t shoot it, you losing money. That easy. That simple. That’s what you get paid to do.’
That was Edwards talking about his teammate Juancho Hernangómez in a way only he can.
In an interview with GQ, Ant went back and forth with a reporter about Alex Rodriguez, who, at the time of the interview, was potentially going to be the new owner of the Wolves.
What did you learn in the last few days about the dude who might own your team?
They told me he’s a Hall of Famer. Somebody told me he’s like the Michael Jordan of baseball.
I feel like that’s a stretch.
Oh.
You didn’t watch any games or highlights to verify that with your own eyes?
Nah, I ain’t watch none, nah. I know he date J-Lo [Jennifer Lopez], though!
The brutal honesty incapsulates perfectly what fans want from their stars today. Having a young star like Ant who can dazzle on the court and has proven to be hilarious off of it could make the Wolves a trendy team. He’s not quite on the Luka/Trae/Ja level in terms of popularity, but Edwards is absolutely trending in the right direction.
Having a charismatic star is an essential component for being a popular team outside your own market. Another key factor: ownership.
There are very few owners in the NBA who are recognized by fans. It’s a short list that includes Mark Cuban (Mavericks), Steve Ballmer (Los Angeles Clippers), and Michael Jordan (Charlotte Hornets). Alex Rodriguez can easily be added to it.
This isn’t a list of most successful owners, simply ones who people scrolling on social media or tuning into a game would recognize. A-Rod easily fits the bill.
He was known as one of the best MLB players before a steroid scandal tainted his career. Many believe Rodriguez would always be viewed in a negative light after that, but he somehow was able to flip the narrative and become a likable figure on Fox Sports’ MLB coverage. Dating Jennifer Lopez didn’t hurt Rodriguez’s image and certainly made him even more famous.
It’s cool to have a cool owner, and the Wolves now have that with Rodriguez. Not only is it possible that he will help put the Wolves on the national radar, but with his connections and what he knows about being a superstar, he can help make Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns into more recognizable stars.
The final ingredient is winning. Minnesota switched coaches during the year, and with Chris Finch’s hire came stability and a winning record in the back end of the season. Look at the names and teams mentioned earlier: Ja Morant, Trae Young, Luka Doncic. Three of the most popular young stars in this league. They all made the playoffs last year. The go-to teams for bandwagon fans to jump to like the Nets and the Warriors both made the postseason (Golden State at least made the play-in tournament).
Minnesota can have the flashy No. 1-overall pick who is hilarious and makes an impact on the court. They can have the global superstar owner in Alex Rodriguez. But if they want to be more respected, more watched, more recognizable, winning will cure all of that.
