Todd Swank: Hanging Out with the Minnesota Timberwolves

September 29, 2024

Hanging Out with the Minnesota Timberwolves

Todd Swank's Diary Entry for September 29, 2024

On Wednesday night, Miss Sheri and I met up with our old buddy Tim Ashland at Copper Pint. Nothing wild happened—just some solid conversation and a world problem-solving session that probably should’ve been recorded for future generations.

On Saturday, it was a beautiful day, so we headed to Target Center in downtown Minneapolis. It’s not our usual spot in the NBA offseason, but we were invited there to attend the rookie training camp.

Last season, the Timberwolves made an epic run to the Western Conference finals, which finally pushed me into committing to a half-season membership. Why? Because trying to snag playoff tickets without selling my soul felt impossible. By locking in the membership, I scored much better pricing for playoff seats. Now, as official Timberwolves members, we’re at the rookie training camp, learning all the perks we get for dropping a small fortune on this team. Here’s hoping Anthony Edwards leads us all the way to a championship this year—because I’d really love to justify the investment!

The night before heading to the Wolves event, we were shocked to learn that Karl-Anthony Towns had been traded to the Knicks. We’ve always loved KAT, even met his dad at his first home game—who was shouting instructions like it was a high school match. While I get that it's Anthony Edwards’ team now and Karl’s contract was hefty, it’s still a sad day for Wolves fans. It makes sense, but it’s hard to say goodbye to a player who gave us so many memories.

We caught a couple of quick glimpses into the practice facilities, but no sign of anyone actually practicing. The Minnesota Lynx, knee-deep in their playoff run, were probably in there, just doing their best ninja impressions. Wishing them luck, though—if they're as good at winning as they are at hiding, we’re in for a championship!

Miss Sheri couldn’t resist grabbing a photo with two of her favorite players, Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid. It’s not every day you get this close to NBA giants—well, cardboard versions of them, at least. She nailed the pose, though, so I guess the Wolves should be glad she’s not coming for their starting spots anytime soon.

As we were waiting for our event to start, Miss Sheri suddenly spotted a familiar giant waiting for the elevator. I debated approaching him, so naturally, I snapped a picture while deciding. Before I could make my move, someone else asked for a photo, and I took the opportunity to jump right in too. Not every day you run into a 7-foot-1 superstar just casually waiting for the elevator!

He definitely wasn’t planning on posing for pictures with the group of 25 fans waiting in the lobby, but credit to him, he played along. I always feel a little awkward asking celebrities for a photo, but let’s face it—how often do you get to say you’ve met an NBA star? Totally worth it! Although I’m pretty sure he was relieved when the elevator finally arrived.

Walking through their business offices, filled with NBA & WNBA memorabilia, took me back to my Oracle days downtown. Riding the bus was always an adventure, but what I really miss are the cool friends I saw every day. That said, I don’t miss the commute, and wearing shorts to work every day now doesn’t exactly suck!

We saw some incredible reminders of Timberwolves history while touring their offices. Kevin Garnett has always been my favorite player, a true legend. But Anthony Edwards? He’s got me thinking we might just be witnessing the next Michael Jordan. The excitement for this season is real, and I can’t wait to see if Edwards takes that next leap to true superstardom. An NBA Championship would certainly help in that regard.

On Friday night we did some Karaoke with the Walters. Here's Sheri providing as much cowbell as she could muster!