The Minnesota Timberwolves could be owned by the same group that owns the Minnesota Vikings. According to ESPN, the Wilf Family has emerged as a top candidate to buy the NBA franchise from billionaire Glen Taylor. Several bidders – including Meyer Orbach, who bought a minority stake in the team back in 2016 — are looking to buy the Timberwolves.
Because of the Wilfs’ connections with the city of Minneapolis, they look like the right fit to buy the Timberwolves. However, ESPN mentioned a decision likely won’t be made until September. Taylor recently told The Athletic he will not sell the team to a group who is looking to move the out of Minneapolis. He said: “People have inquired who are interested but they want to move the team,” he said: “They are not a candidate. We’ve made that very clear.”
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Taylor bought the Timberwolves in 1994. He was able to purchase the franchise for $88 million and is now seeking $1.2 billion. ESPN reported that the team is worth $1.4 billion. The Timberwolves were originally founded in 1989, and it was the first time since 1960 the city had an NBA franchise. The Timberwolves were one of four expansion teams at the time, with the other three being the Orlando Magic, Charlotte Hornets, and Miami Heat. The original owners were Harvey Ratner and Marv Wolfenson, and the team struggled in the early years, finishing nearer the bottom of the wrestling conference in the first seven seasons.
Things began to turn around for the team when they drafted Kevin Garnett No. 1 overall in 1995. Garnett’s play led to the team reaching the playoffs for the first time in franchise history in 1997. Seven years later, the Timberwolves finished No. 1 in the Western Conference and reached the conference finals.
The Wilfs bought the Vikings from Red McCombs for $600 million back in 2005. The team is now worth around $3 billion. Zygi Wilf is the team’s principal owner, Mark Wilf is a co-owner, and Leonard Wilf is also a co-owner. The ownership group has looked out for the Vikings and their fans as they are responsible for the team getting a new stadium that opened in 2016. The Vikings are one of the more respected franchises in the league, appearing in the playoffs 30 times while making four Super Bowl appearances.
