During his time on the baseball field, Alex Rodriguez was not the most popular guy around. While it previously looked like his foray into NBA ownership would yield similar results, A-Rod may have preemptively avoided a major PR crisis.

While the deal still requires league approval, Rodriguez teamed up with Marc Lore to buy the Minnesota Timberwolves. Some rumors suggested the former Seattle Mariner wanted to move the franchise to the Pacific Northwest, but, on Instagram, the former infielder promised that would not be the case.

Alex Rodriguez buys Minnesota Timberwolves, and rumors suggest he wanted to move the team

Thanks to a decorated baseball career in the Major League and subsequent media work, A-Rod’s net worth stands at around $ 350 million. The former New York Yankees star isn’t just sitting on that fortune, however. He uses some of it to get back to professional sport, albeit as an owner.

As noted by Marc Stein of the New York Times in a May 2021 article, Rodriguez and his business partner Marc Lore “have reached a deal to buy the Minnesota Timberwolves from the NBA and the Minnesota Lynx from the WNBA for $ 1.5 billion. “. This deal still requires approval from the NBA Board of Governors.

While just about any change in ownership would be welcome in Minnesota, given the Timberwolves’ struggles, potential bad news has surfaced around Rodriguez and Lore’s takeover. A rumor, which was referenced by Charley Walters of Twin Cities Pioneer Press, suggested that A-Rod intended to move the team to Seattle. Kevin Garnett, who Walters said could join the club’s basketball operations department, would obviously have objected to the idea.

From a 10,000 foot perspective, there seemed to be some logic behind the idea of ​​moving the Timberwolves to Seattle. The city, of course, hasn’t had an NBA team since the SuperSonics left for Oklahoma City; a new franchise could theoretically have formed a pushy punch with the NHL’s Seattle Kraken. Nostalgia could also be at stake, as Rodriguez spent the start of his baseball career with the Mariners.

All of these thoughts, however, can now be put aside. On social media, the former MLB star appeared to crush Timberwolves fans’ worst nightmare.

On one of A-Rod’s recent Instagram posts, an account named Twolves.country left a comment asking him to “keep the wolves in Minnesota.” Rodriguez responded to the comment, proclaiming “we will !!” for the world to see.

While it’s interesting that Instagram comments aren’t legally binding, we’re not talking about a bright-eyed rookie making an off-the-cuff remark. In theory, Rodriguez has had enough social media and PR training to know he shouldn’t make such a statement if he doesn’t plan to sue.

A New Owner Might Be Just What Timberwolves Need

Compared to the big names in the draft and free agents, discussing the prospects of a new ownership group isn’t the most exciting way to engage with the NBA. For the Minnesota Timberwolves, however, Rodriguez and Vore could be a key piece of the puzzle.

“As part of what has been billed as a 50/50 partnership with Lore, Rodriguez will bring a new level of star power to the Timberwolves, something they have been lacking in any measure since trading Kevin Garnett to the Boston Celtics in July 2007, “Stein wrote in his NY Times article.” The team is in dire need of leadership that can make a real impact on the pitch through its management, spending and commitment; Minnesota has a record 22-48 this season and has only made the playoffs once in Taylor’s last 17 years.

When it comes to expense and commitment, this is where an owner can really make a difference. While there is admittedly the problem of making Minnesota an attractive destination, this year’s Brooklyn Nets are showing what can happen if a club is willing to shell out money to attract top talent.

Reversing a franchise takes time, however, and even if Rodriguez and Lore buy out T-Wolves, the details of the deal may not allow them to take full control of the club before the 2023-24 season. With all of those qualifiers aside, however, A-Rod’s Instagram pledge to keep the club in Minnesota seems like a solid opening move.

Now we’ll just have to wait and see how the rest of the saga plays out.

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