Every day we are getting closer to another NBA season. December 22 it all starts again, as if things were not bad enough trying to survive during a pandemic.
This is painful: 14.7 million people have tested positive for coronavirus in the U.S. according to Johns Hopkins University, and 281,789 Americans have died since March 1. Last week a record 2,875 people died in one day.
Just wanted you know where I’m coming from mentally. I’m so sick of hearing lies about voter fraud by a man who accepts no responsibility for killing people. People who believe in God and what’s right are being over shadowed by liars, by people who have given in and given up. The truth is that 73 million Americans voted on November 3 for Donald Trump, an impeached president. That’s how devalued our country is that people support hate and lies from a con man and are proud of it.
America is burning. We just can’t see it.
The Timberwolves have drafted Anthony Edwards of Georgia number-one overall in the NBA Draft. When I think number one, I think Michael Jordan, Patrick Mahomes, LeBron James. That’s what great organizations do with the top overall pick—they win!
Karl Anthony Towns a few years ago was the Timberwolves’ number-one pick from Kentucky. A terrific talent who signed a five-year $190 million deal, Towns lost his mother earlier this year to the coronavirus.
In fact, Towns has lost seven family members total this year to the coronavirus. Seven is supposed to be a winning number. Towns clearly needs a doctor to talk to. He plays with passion for an organization that has missed the playoffs 15 of the last 16 years. The last time the Timberwolves were in the playoffs, Tom Thibodeau was coach.
Jimmy Butler, who led Miami to the 2020 NBA Finals, was here and an All-Star.
Players play, coaches coach, owners own. Glen Taylor owns the Star Tribune and still owns the team that he bought in the mid-1990s for $88 million. Clearly his team has increased in value annually. His investment, because of the increased league popularity, is now up to $1.4 billion.
He got the City of Minneapolis to renovate Target Center two year ago. He drafted Kevin Garnett out of Chicago Faragut High School, a former NBA MVP who he paid over $300 million. Garnett can’t stand the man after he reneged on his vow to make Garnett part-owner.
Last week Taylor extended the contract of 23-year-old guard Malik Beasley by four years for $60 million. Beasley averaged 20.7 points and 5.1 rebounds after coming to Minnesota from Denver.
Beasley has been jailed and charged with several felonies in Minnesota. The Timberwolves have also brought back veteran guard Ricky Rubio. He’s a former Timberwolves number-one pick. He helped Phoenix win eight games in a row last year and sweep the Timberwolves.
Despite Taylor, the brilliant billionaire businessman who sits courtside, the Timberwolves are stuck in the middle of nepotism. They now are coached by Ryan Saunders, son of Flip Saunders, the team’s late former coach and part owner who died tragically of cancer.
We all know you win with players. And yes, the Timberwolves have talent, yet year after year they lose. The pain continues.
Larry Fitzgerald is a longstanding contributing columnist at the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. He can be heard weekday mornings on KMOJ Radio 89.9 FM at 8:25 am, on WDGY-AM 740 Monday and Friday at 9:10 am, and at www.Gamedaygold.com. He also commentates on sports 7-8 pm on “Almanac” (TPT channel 2). Follow him on Twitter at FitzBeatSr. Larry welcomes reader responses to info@larry-fitzgerald.com, or visit www.Larry-Fitzgerald.com.