Timberwolves playoffs vibes take a hit with A-Rod assuming control

Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx co-owner Alex Rodriguez.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are enjoying their best regular season in franchise history. But can they survive their new owner’s bad postseason mojo?

Alex Rodriguez and his partner, Marc Lore, have bought 40% of the Minnesota Timberwolves from owner Glen Taylor since 2021. The duo have paid two installments of $300M, representing a franchise value of $1.5B.

This week, there was concern when Rodriguez and Lore lost the financial backing of the Carlyle Group, reportedly due to the NBA’s requirements for its owners, but they found new funding from Dyal Capital Partners to purchase a controlling stake.

But if the Timberwolves are looking to build on their regular-season success in the playoffs, A-Rod might not be the best person to lean on. Rodriguez had a long history of falling short in the postseason, before finally breaking through with a World Series title in 2009.

He lost four straight playoff series with the New York Yankees from 2004-07, losing 13 of 17 games in one stretch. Rodriguez hit 9-for-61 in those 17 games, with a paltry three RBI. Outside of his 2009 playoff run, A-Rod was a career .235 hitter in the playoffs, with 23 RBI in 61 games.

But perhaps it’s appropriate for him to assume control of the Timberwolves, who won only two playoff series in their first 34 seasons, both in 2004. They’re 21-42 overall in the postseason, which makes A-Rod’s performance look clutch in comparison.

Rodriguez should be delighted to learn that in the NBA, you actually are allowed to slap the ball out of an opposing player’s hands.

The NBA still has to approve the ownership paperwork, so the Wolves could be free of the A-Rod playoff curse until then. Unfortunately, the Glen Taylor playoff curse has historically been far worse.

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