Minnesota Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves announced they dedicated the game ball from Tuesday night's win over the Sacramento Kings to the family of George Floyd after former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty Tuesday of the murder of Floyd in May.

Wolves star Karl-Anthony Towns explained the importance of showing support for Floyd's family:

"I think for all of us, we all felt that this game was bigger than basketball. This was a moment that wasn't meant for us, this was meant for our city and for George Floyd's family. I think everyone in America right now is grieving with them and sending our prayers, blessings and love towards them.

"They need it for countless days. They've been reminded of the tragedy that has taken place in their family and never truly got a chance to grieve and recover in any sort of way. So I think for us we were just trying to do our part to let them know that we're here with them, that this game of basketball is only just a little part of who we are. And this organization in us wanted to really show them that we're going to be with them every step of the way we possibly can to help them in this process, in this grieving process ... just to repair their lives as much as we possibly can."

NBA players have been on the front line in the fight against social injustice and systemic racism over the past year, which included the postponement of playoff games in August following police violence against Black people such as Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Jacob Blake and others.

Many members of the NBA community celebrated Tuesday's guilty verdict while making it clear there's plenty of work left to do, including a joint statement from NBA commissioner Adam Silver and Players Association executive director Michele Roberts:

Timberwolves forward Josh Okogie agreed with the verdict but noted the right doesn't undo the wrong.

"More than everything for me, if justice was really, really, really served, George Floyd would still be here today, but obviously we don't have no control of that," Okogie said. "But what we do have control of is the court case and what we decided to do with Derek Chauvin. I think the court made the right decisions, and ... I hope this slows down the amount of shootings that are happening in the world right now."

Towns, who said he was "worried" before the verdict was announced, said there was a sense of "relief" afterward but added the work must continue to avoid "having the same situation again":

"It's just a moment in time that we get to realize ... when you grow up, your parents tell you what's right and wrong, and they tell you that you know better. They try to teach you accountability for your actions. They try to teach you that justice will always be served, the good will always win in the end. Recently, in life, especially for all of us of color and for me personally, sometimes the good people don't win.

"It's a tough fact that you gotta swallow. ... It's just a great moment for the word accountability gaining some actual meaning, gaining some actual value. Justice, while being bittersweet, also showed itself today. It's bittersweet because it costed a life to see a moment like this. It's one of those moments you worry that if reform's not done, we'll be having the same situation again, and that's the most unfortunate, disheartening thing."

Meanwhile, the NBA, which ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported had prepared teams for potential postponements following the verdict, moved forward with its full schedule of games Tuesday night.

The Wolves are on a four-game road trip and won't play their first home game back in Minneapolis since the verdict until Monday against the Utah Jazz.

Minnesota Timberwolves star big man Karl-Anthony Towns shared what was going through his mind Tuesday prior to a verdict being handed down in the Derek Chauvin murder trial.

According to Mark Medina of USA Today, Towns said: "I didn't know what was going to happen. I was worried for our community. I was worried justice wouldn't be served."

A jury found Chauvin guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the May 25 killing of 46-year-old Black man George Floyd in Minneapolis.

The three convictions carry prison sentences of up to 40 years, 25 years and 10 years, respectively.

The Chauvin murder trial hit close to home for Towns and the rest of the Timberwolves players since it occurred in their home city of Minneapolis.

Towns and his teammates learned of the guilty verdict prior to their game against the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night. Minnesota went on to win the game 134-120, giving the 16-43 squad two wins in its past three games.

Towns turned in an especially strong performance in the victory, recording 26 points, a season-high 18 rebounds, five assists and four blocks.

Per Medina, Timberwolves guard Josh Okogie divulged a gesture the team made after their win, saying: "We have the game ball and we dedicated that to George Floyd's family. I'm glad we were able to do that."

Chauvin is set to serve prison time for the murder of Floyd, but it isn't yet known how much. That will be decided when he is sentenced in eight weeks.

Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Anthony Edwards said he's received a crash course on the life and career of Alex Rodriguez, the former MLB All-Star who's part of an ownership group set to purchase controlling power of the NBA franchise from Glen Taylor.

"Well...I do now!" Edwards joked when asked by GQ's Tyler R. Tynes whether he knew A-Rod after the first overall pick in the 2020 draft previously said he was unaware of Rodriguez after the first reports about the team's sale.

The 19-year-old Atlanta native explained he hasn't done much individual research about the three-time American League MVP, but he's fielded plenty of text messages about A-Rod since his initial remarks.

"They told me he's a Hall of Famer," Edwards told Tynes. "Somebody told me he’s like the Michael Jordan of baseball."

The standout rookie also found out A-Rod was dating singer and actress Jennifer Lopez and was disappointed to find out the couple has since ended their engagement.

"He gonna be my owner, I want him to be happy," Edwards said.

Edwards, who played baseball before attending the University of Georgia, also told Tynes he could throw 92 mph right now and 100 mph if he was given a month to get his arm back in shape. 

On the hardwood, Edwards is averaging 18.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists across 58 appearances in his first NBA season, but he told Tynes he's not worried about the Rookie of the Year race.

"Everybody be askin' me, I just tell them the same thing: Whoever picking the trophy, whatever it's called, if they think I am, then yeah. If they don't, then cool," he said. "I'm just here to play basketball. I'm tryin' to be the best that I can be."

Edwards was also asked about some of his NBA matchups so far.

• On Kevin Durant: "As far as Durant being my favorite player? Nah. Hell nah, that hasn't changed. He's still my favorite player."
• On Russell Westbrook: "I love playing Westbrook. Fasho! 'Cuz, I can guard him. That's my matchup. They always put me on Westbrook. Yeah, I had fun with that."
• On Bradley Beal and Edwards' "Welcome to the NBA" moment: "Bradley Beal, yeah. He hit a couple tough shots on me, like suuuuuper tough shots and I was like [raises eyebrows, starts shaking head back and forth] 'aightttt."

The University of Georgia product and the Wolves are back in action Tuesday night when they visit the Golden 1 Center to take on the Sacramento Kings.

Anthony Edwards is just 19 years old, so you can perhaps forgive him for not being familiar with former MLB All-Star Alex Rodriguez. Even if Rodriguez might be his boss soon enough.

"I don't know who that is," he told reporters Tuesday when asked about Rodriguez potentially becoming the team's governor. "I know he's going to be the owner. But I don't know anything about baseball."

However, the two later became acquainted on social media:

Yes, Rodriguez is set to become the governor of the Minnesota Timberwolves alongside Mark Lore when they purchase the team for $1.5 billion from current governor Glenn Taylor, per Jabari Young of CNBC. So you'd imagine that Edwards—the team's top overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, a human highlight reel and a player expected to become a franchise pillar for years to come—will familiarize himself with Rodriguez soon enough.

Young reported that Taylor is expected to operate the Timberwolves for the next two seasons before passing over the reins to Rodriguez and Lore, the former Walmart e-commerce CEO. 

Most sports fans over the age of 19 are familiar with Rodriguez, who was notable during his playing career for both immense highs (14 All-Star appearances, three MVPs, a 2009 championship and 696 career home runs) and controversial lows (he admitted to taking performance-enhancing drugs during his playing career). 

Following his career, he's made his mark as a solid MLB analyst, though his aspirations have been in team ownership. Rodriguez attempted to buy the New York Mets as part of an ownership group that included Jennifer Lopez, Lore, Vincent Viola and Mike Repole, though their bid lost out to hedge-fund manager Steve Cohen. 

Now, it appears he'll get his wish with the Timberwolves. And perhaps Edwards will do some Googling of his future boss. 

The Minnesota Timberwolves resumed play Tuesday a day after they postponed a game with the Brooklyn Nets following the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright by police.

Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas explained the decision, saying he wanted to "give our guys a platform to show and say what they feel."

"We live here," he said (h/t Malika Andrews of ESPN). "This is our community. To be experiencing this again in a middle of a trial is something that's very emotional and overwhelming."

Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, was killed Sunday in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Park after officer Kim Potter shot him during a traffic stop. Brooklyn Center police chief Tim Gannon described the shooting as "accidental." 

Both Potter and Gannon resigned Tuesday. 

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is currently on trial for the murder of George Floyd, a Black man who died after Chauvin held his knee on his neck for more than nine minutes in May 2020. 

Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash said he would be supportive of Monday's postponement, but he thought basketball was of little importance following Wright's shooting.

"If we're not playing for the right reasons, that's 100% OK," Nash told reporters. "But what does it change if we play today or don't play today? Change needs to come -- meaningful change needs to come at some point. I think meaningful change is much, much deeper than a basketball game. Now, I'd be all for not playing today if there was a step-by-step, sort of procedural reasoning behind why." 

The Minnesota Twins, who postponed their game against the Boston Red Sox on Monday, also resumed play Tuesday, while the Minnesota Wild—who moved Monday's game to May 12—resume play Wednesday. 

Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns wrote an emotional message in honor of his mother, Jackie Cruz-Towns, on the one-year anniversary of her death.

He wrote the message on his Instagram page Tuesday and accompanied it with pictures of him and his mother throughout his life.

"A year ago my life was forever changed. To the most beautiful woman I will ever know, I love you more than life itself," Towns said.

"Every day I miss you more and more, but your endless love and unforgettable memories are what keeps me going. One day, we will walk side by side again but until that beautiful day, I will continue to hold down the amazing family you made. I can never replace you in this family, but I will try my best every day."

Cruz-Towns died on April 13, 2020, from COVID-19 complications.

Towns also opened up about his mother's death in an emotional video titled "The Toughest Year of My Life" that he posted in November:

The Timberwolves honored Cruz-Towns during Sunday's game against the Chicago Bulls by reserving a seat for her:

ESPN's Malika Andrews reported a number of family members were in attendance for Minnesota's game against the Brooklyn Nets on March 29, including Karl Towns Sr. It was the first game Towns' father attended since the death of Cruz-Towns.

"He understood how upset I was after the loss," Towns said. "But he came to me, and he told me something I don't know if he should've told me. It got me a little emotional. He told me my mom would've been proud with how I played tonight."

In December, Towns—who donated $100,000 to the Mayo Clinic in March to help fight the pandemic—revealed his mother was one of seven family members he lost to COVID-19.

Members of the Brooklyn Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves wore T-shirts reading "With liberty and justice FOR ALL" during warm-ups prior to their game at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Tuesday afternoon. 

The shirts are in response to the killing of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, by a police officer in a Minneapolis suburb Sunday. 

Per Paul Walsh and Liz Sawyer of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter fired the shot that killed Wright. He was pulled over by officers for a traffic violation because the tags on his vehicle were expired. 

Potter and police chief Tim Gannon resigned Monday. Wright's killing has sparked protests around the United States with calls for justice. 

The Nets-Timberwolves game was originally scheduled to be played Monday at 8 p.m. ET, but the NBA announced it had been postponed "in light of the tragic events in the Minneapolis area."

The Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Wild also had their games postponed in response to Wright's death. 

Monday's game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Brooklyn Nets that was scheduled to take place at the Target Center has been postponed in the wake of the fatal police shooting of Daunte Wright:

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium first reported the news.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the game could be played Tuesday with both teams not scheduled to play again until Wednesday.

The Minnesota Twins announced their game against the Boston Red Sox scheduled for Monday was also postponed. The NHL also postponed the Minnesota Wild's game against the St. Louis Blues, rescheduling the game for May 12.

"Out of respect for the tragic events that occurred yesterday in Brooklyn Center, and following the additional details in this evolving situation, the Minnesota Twins have decided it is in the best interests of our fans, staff, players and community to not play today's game," the Twins' announcement said. "... The Minnesota Twins organization extends its sympathies to the family of Daunte Wright."

A police officer shot and killed Wright, a Black man, during a traffic stop in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center on Sunday.

Adrienne Broaddus, Holly Yan, Keith Allen and Hollie Silverman of CNN reported on the killing, noting police released bodycam footage Monday. An officer was heard shouting, "Taser! Taser! Taser!" before firing a gun and then saying, "Holy s--t, I shot him."

Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon called the shooting "an accidental discharge that resulted in the tragic death of Mr. Wright."

The fatal shooting happened amid the ongoing murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.

Chauvin is charged with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the May 2020 killing of George Floyd. Video showed Chauvin holding his knee on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes despite pleas from Floyd saying he could not breathe.

Floyd's death led to worldwide protests against police brutality and systemic racism.

The Minnesota Timberwolves honored Jackie Cruz-Towns, who was the mother of Karl-Anthony Towns, during Sunday's game against the Chicago Bulls.

Minnesota reserved a seat for her at Target Center, noting "her light made the world a brighter and better place."

Cruz-Towns died from COVID-19 complications in April 2020.

Towns' father, Karl Towns Sr., was in attendance for Minnesota's game against the Brooklyn Nets on March 29, and the Timberwolves big man opened up about what it was like to play in front of family following his mother's death.

"It was really the first time having family watch me playing in person," Towns said, per ESPN's Malika Andrews. "And it's crazy seeing my dad. I'm like, 'Where's my mom? She's gonna come.' And, obviously, she's not gonna show up. That affected me, but I go out there and play the best I can for this team."

Towns previously said his mother was one of seven relatives he lost due to COVID-19.

MLB legend Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore are finalizing an agreement to purchase the Minnesota Timberwolves from Glen Taylor, who bought a majority stake of the NBA team in 1994, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Wojnarowski reported the price is expected to be "in the $1.5 billion range," and the deal will include the four-time WNBA champion Minnesota Lynx.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium shared a statement from Rodriguez and Lore:

Charania and The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski reported Rodriguez and Lore signaled a desire to keep the Timberwolves in Minnesota:

Rodriguez was unsuccessful in his last attempt to become the owner of a major sports franchise, losing out to Steven Cohen in the bidding for the New York Mets.

Taylor, who also owns the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx, released a statement in early July saying he'd begun exploring potentially selling the basketball teams.

"I was recently approached by The Raine Group to discuss the future of our franchise," he wrote. "From the time I bought the team in 1994, I have always wanted what's best for our fans and will entertain opportunities on the evolution of the Timberwolves and Lynx ownership structure."

The 79-year-old Minnesota native, who Forbes estimates has a $2.9 billion net worth after more than four decades leading the Taylor Corporation, told Krawczynski and Charania he'd only entertain offers from those wanting to keep the Wolves in the state.

"People have inquired who are interested and very interested and have the money, but they want to move a team," Taylor said. "They are not a candidate. We've made that very clear. In those terms, nothing has changed. We got a good team here. We think we have a good future and we want to do anything we can to keep it that way."

Along with those comments, a Minneapolis city spokesperson confirmed any party who breaks the lease to use the Target Center as the Timberwolves' home arena would owe $50 million, per Chris Hine of the Star Tribune. That agreement runs through the 2034-35 NBA season.

The Wolves were founded in 1989 by the ownership tandem of Harvey Ratner and Marv Wolfenson. It marked the return of the NBA to Minnesota after the state lost the Lakers to Los Angeles in 1960.

Consistent success has been hard to come by for the Timberwolves, though. The franchise has advanced beyond the opening round of the playoffs just once—a trip to the 2004 Western Conference Finals, where it lost to the Lakers in six games.

Now the new ownership will attempt to buck that trend and push the team into championship contention.