Category Archives: Major Sports

NLL Adds Fort Worth As 14th Lax Franchise

by Jesse Liptzin, special to The Daily Payoff

For the first time in 2020, a Men’s Professional Sports League in North America has added a new team. The National Lacrosse League is going to be expanding into Fort Worth Texas with the announcement coming this past Wednesday by Commissioner Nick Sakiewicz and the DFW region-based ownership group in Greg Bibb and Bill Cameron, two people very experienced in owning a sports franchise.

“We welcome Fort Worth as our 14th team and are excited to be working with a first-class organization led by Bill Cameron, Greg Bibb, and the leadership at Dickies Arena, one of the premier state-of-the-art facilities in the United States,” Sakiewicz said in a media teleconference announcing the addition of the franchise.

Bibb and Cameron also are part owners in the highly successful WNBA team, the Dallas Wings. The two businessmen have yet to release a name or team colors, but say it will have something to do with Fort Worth and the area.

“We are committed to an identity that has a Forth Worth bent, but also something that is a little untraditional,” Bibb said.

This is the NLL’s second team in the Southern part of America joining the Georgia Swarm. The team won’t officially start play for another 18 months (2021-22 season), but this isn’t unusual as the NLL has a rule, new teams need at least 12 months before actual play can begin.

The new team will be playing at Dickies Arena which recently opened in 2019.

“Dickies Arena is excited to add the NLL to its event list,” said TDMC’s Matt Homan, President and General Manager of Dickies Arena. “We believe there is a solid ownership team along with the strength of the NLL. We are looking forward to working with Bill and Greg’s team locally to make sure that the Fort Worth community has a long term franchise.”

This was interesting because even though the NLL has never had a team in Texas many lacrosse teams in other leagues have failed in the area. However, Forth Worth is the 13th largest city in America and hosts plenty of sporting events between NASCAR, Gymnastics, and more.

“Fort Worth is a world-class sports destination and we are excited to welcome the National Lacrosse League franchise to our community and our spectacular new Dickies Arena,” said Jason Sands, Director, Fort Worth Sports Commission.

The NLL is the largest and longest-running professional lacrosse league so expanding the number of teams is nothing new to them. Just after the last team was added two conferences were formed. With the new addition, the 14 teams may transition into three conferences.

“In all likelihood Fort Worth will be the only expansion team headed into the following season, although you never know with us,” Sakiewicz said. “Sometimes we have been known to add two teams at a time.”

News on the 2020 NLL draft and other important information having to do with the 35th NLL season will be announced later this year.

James Vardy makes golden boot history

Leicester City striker James Vardy made history on the final day of the 2020 EPL campaign, becoming the oldest player in the EPL to claim the Golden Boot award. The 33-year old Vardy’s tally of 23-goals was enough to see off Southampton’s Danny Ings, Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Liverpool’s Mo Salah and Manchester City star Raheem Sterling.

[Image credit: Wikimedia Commons]

The EPL campaign came to a disappointing end for Leicester City though; a 2-0 loss to Manchester United saw them miss out on Champions League qualification for next season.

Leicester City Manager Brendan Rodgers was glowing in his tribute to Vardy’s achievement:

MLB is back in the swing of things, and so is COVID-19

Last week brought with it something no one thought could happen – the start of the MLB regular season. It took forever for team owners and players to reach an agreement on how to handle issues regarding games and salaries, but, once they did, baseball fans everywhere were ready for Opening Day. What they weren’t ready for, however, was an unwanted player on the field; one that could threaten the season and bring it to an even shorter end than the 60 games already imposed. COVID-19 appears to be ready to play baseball.

Yesterday, the Miami Marlins took on the Philadelphia Phillies in Philadelphia. Noticeably missing from the Marlins lineup was right-handed pitcher Jose Urena, who was scratched ahead of the game. While there wasn’t a reason given for his removal, it was later learned that he tested positive for the coronavirus. In addition, it was revealed that catcher Jorge Alfaro (he was scratched last Friday), infielder Garrett Cooper and outfielder Harold Ramirez have also tested positive.

As a result, the Marlins, which would beat the Phillies 11-6, delayed their return flight home, choosing to hang out in Philadelphia a little longer and fly out today – the same day they have to play the Baltimore Orioles at home. According to a statement from manager Don Mattingly, “We were more comfortable flying as a group later. We’re talking about these guys traveling back home to their families and their kids, and it’s the reason we want to be safe.”

Undoubtedly, health officials are already looking to trace how the virus is being spread through the league. Last week, the Marlins took on the Atlanta Braves in exhibition games, and three Braves – first baseman Freddie Freeman and catchers Travis d’Arnaud and Tyler Flowers – are out after showing signs of COVID-19 symptoms. It isn’t clear of the Marlins players picked up the virus during those games, or if they passed it on, having been contagious without realizing it.

DraftKings wants to give a football fan $1 million through new contest

If everything goes according to plan, the NFL will start its regular season on September 10. There are still some questions that have to be answered before that can happen, though, as many football players have voiced their concerns over the league’s lack of response to the coronavirus pandemic. Should everything come together, DraftKings is ready to drum up interest in football gambling and is putting a lot of money on the line. It is going to offer a Pick’em contest with $1 million to be taken home by the winner.

The 2020 Pro Football Pick’em National Championship was announced last week and expects to have a prize pool of at least $2 million. Entries cost $1,500 and the competition will cover the first 16 weeks of the season. After paying up, players select five games against the spread in 14 of the 16 weeks, and the winner will be the individual who makes the most correct selections. At that point, the big winner takes home $1 million and the top 50 finishers will be in the money, as well. Anyone who enters will get $100 for getting five out of five picks correct.

The good news, since the upcoming season is still in limbo, is that the five picks don’t have to be submitted immediately. Since the league is allowing players to opt-out of the season, this could alter team performances, and contest participants will be able to make their selections as the season moves forward. The only caveat is that picks for Sunday and Monday games need to be submitted before 10 AM Eastern Time.

All of the details can be found in a video uploaded to Twitter by DraftKings last week. Because of the uncertainty regarding the season, the contest will be valid as long as at least 12 weeks of football are played. The good news is that the contest is completely online, which means participants won’t have to make a trip to a casino to enter. However, there is a little bit of bad news, as well. As it stands right now, the contest is only open to New Jersey residents.

EPL gameweek final day sees United and Chelsea reach Champions League as Aston Villa survive relegation battle

It was a day to end the Premier League season that fans would have loved to have been present at. With so much on the line, there were twists and turns along the way that almost no-one saw coming.

Leicester City 0-2 Manchester United

The tightest of finishes was guaranteed at the King Power Stadium as Manchester United went into the game knowing that a win for Leicester coupled with anything other than a loss for Chelsea would condemn United to the Europa League next season.

Leicester were wasteful in the first half, as Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho both missed the target. Marcus Rashford was also shorn of his usual golden touch in front of goal, with Mason Greenwood coming close but getting no 18th goal of the season – yet- for the 18-year-old.

Cleveland Tops L.A. In Strat-O-Matic MLB Simulation Season

Terry Francona (credit: Arturo Pardavillo III)

The 2020 baseball season will be unlike any other, a 60-game sprint that began last night replacing the normal 162-game grind. And just as that means different strategies and maybe a different outcome than a full slate would have produced, Strat-O-Matic’s (www.strat-o-matic.com) simulation of the truncated schedule meant a new winner, as Cleveland topped Los Angeles, four games to two, in the World Series.

Cleveland, which posted the second-best A.L. record at 39-21, swept No. 7 Boston (29-31) in the expanded first round and No. 3 Tampa Bay (38-22) in the ALDS, then survived a seven-game series with No. 1 Houston (44-16) in the NLCS before topping Los Angeles (44-16), the N.L. top seed, winning the last three games to erase a 2-1 series deficit. Domingo Santana was a surprise hero, batting .417 with two homers in the series, and Franmil Reyes slugged three round-trippers for the winners.

Major award winners were as follows:

AL MVP: Carlos Correa, Houston

NL MVP: Kris Bryant, Chicago

AL Cy Young: Charlie Morton, Tampa Bay

NL Cy Young: Mike Foltynewicz, Atlanta

AL Rookie of the Year: Luis Robert, Chicago

NL Rookie of the Year: Alec Bohm, Philadelphia

This was in contrast to the full season simulation that Strat-O-Matic conducted day-by-day since March and completed this week, in which the Dodgers defeated Houston in the finals. The expanded 16-team playoff Fans can access the full 2020 “short” season at https://www.strat-o-matic.com/announcements/2020-60-game-season-simulation/ and full season simulation standings, statistics and game results at https://www.strat-o-matic.com/2020-season-simulation/.

“We figured there would be a difference between the 162- game and 60-game simulations, but Cleveland winning is certainly a surprise,” said Hal Richman, Strat-O-Matic founder. “The upcoming ‘sprint’ season and expanded playoffs mean that truly anything can happen, and Cleveland winning it all for the first time in more than 70 years certainly qualifies.”

Some other statistics and items of note from the season:

Daniel Murphy of Colorado (.380) and Xander Bogaerts of Boston (.345) won the league batting titles, respectively
Joey Gallo of Texas got on a home run roll, blasting 17, matched by his N.L. counterpart, Kris Bryant of Chicago. Carlos Correa of Houston knocked in 46 runs to lead the A.L., and Eduardo Escobar had 39 RBI to pace the N.L.
Charlie Morton won an A.L.-high 9 games for Tampa Bay, while Jack Flaherty’s 10 wins for St. Louis led all of baseball.
Atlanta’s Mike Foltynewicz posted a miniscule 1.27 ERA, best in baseball, while Gerrit Cole of New York led the A.L. at a stingy 1.51.
Four pitchers had 20 saves: Roberto Osuna, Houston; Kenley Jansen, Los Angeles (N.L.); Hector Neris, Philadelphia; and Daniel Hudson, Washington
Division winners were Tampa Bay (38-22), Cleveland (39-21), Houston (44-16), Atlanta (38-22), St. Louis (39-21) and Los Angeles (44-16).
Seven of the first-round series were sweeps, six of those won by the home team/higher seed. Only No. 7 Colorado’s win over No. 2 St. Louis went the full three games.

Strat-O-Matic has experienced unprecedented growth over the past quarter, registering sharp increases in sales, traffic and social numbers. Board and Windows games, digital platform Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365, Website traffic, new users and social media have all seen significant boosts over comparable time periods as fans continue to satiate their thirst for baseball, Strat-O-Matic style, connecting with the game and each other across all of these areas.

Mike Tyson comeback confirmed: Odds for his fight against Roy Jones Jr.

It feels like that era that defined a generation, the glorious eighties, has returned again. A somewhat B-grade actor is in the White-House, MJ and the Bulls are gracing us with their presence, Eddie Murphy is back doing stand-up on Saturday Night Live, and Mike Tyson is returning to the ring baby! All that’s missing is an appearance from Don King.

Mike Tyson confirmed his return to boxing with an eight-round exhibition bout against Roy Jones Jr. on September 12 in Los Angeles. Tyson made the fight announcement on his League of Legends website.

Tyson told ESPN in a video call that this would be a competitive bout, with both fighters required to wear headgear under California rules. “We’re both accomplished fighters, we know how to protect ourselves,” he said. “We’ll be alright, we’re showing our skills and fighting. It’s 100 percent of it looking to be Mike Tyson in the ring, I’ve got one speed — forward.”

Tyson said he was determined to show that older athletes can still perform at the highest level. “It’s because I can do it and I believe other people believe they can do it,” Tyson said. “We aren’t washed up. Somebody says over-age is washed up but they have a bigger fan base than the guys who are training now.”

Modified MLB season to include expanded playoffs

MLB brass and players have accomplished they haven’t been able to do easily in recent history – agree on something. As the league met with members of the MLB Players Association (MLBPA) yesterday, they came up with a solution to finish out the current season, making changes to the playoffs that will see more games added in the run for the World Series title. It’s a move that should make both players and fans happy.

Now, instead of ten teams in the playoffs, there will be 16. All six divisions in the MLB will send their second-place teams to the playoffs, with the seventh and eighth playoff teams from each league determined by who has the best record at the end of the modified regular season. Explains MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred in a statement, “This season will be a sprint to a new format that will allow more fans to experience playoff baseball. We look forward to a memorable Postseason concluding a year like no other.”

The postseason will start with its first round on September 29 to October 2. This round will include four three-game series for each league, the American League (AL) and National League (NL), and the higher-seeded team will have home-field advantage. Following this, the normal playoff structure will be seen, with divisions holding five-game series leading up to the leagues’ finals. The AL and NL Championship Series, as well as the World Series, will both be best-of-seven tournaments. Tony Clark, the executive director of the MLBPA, is supportive of the changes, and states, “We hope it will result in highly competitive pennant races as well as exciting additional playoff games to the benefit of the industry and all involved heading into next year.”

What hasn’t been officially released, but provided by an unofficial source to the Associated Press, is that there won’t be any luxury tax owed this year. This tax, also known as the Competitive Balance Tax, is paid annually by each club once it surpasses a predetermined payroll threshold. For 2020, that threshold was $208 million, an $11-million increase over the past two years. That could be good news for some clubs, since the league has agreed to allocate $50 million to players, which will be given out following each round of postseason action, and which could be increased if fans are allowed to hit the stands.

Premier League review: Gameweek #37

When it came to the crunch on the penultimate English Premier League games of the season, some teams crumbled while others rose above the parapet and came out fighting. Watford fell apart, losing 4-0 to Manchester City and in doing so, replaced Aston Villa in the relegation zone, The Villains triumphing 1-0 over Arsenal.

Elsewhere, there were wins for Wolves, Southampton and Burnley as Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Norwich all lost games they would desperately have hoped to win.

The main action, however, involved the three clubs still fighting for just two places in next season’s Champions League.

Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 Leicester City

Climate Change odds: Will the Earth cool down because of coronavirus?

Are you confident in your thoughts on global warming? Is it a real problem, potentially putting the future of civilization as we know it at risk, or a Chinese hoax meant to end U.S. dominance in the world? Whatever your thoughts may be, we’re going to find out eventually, so the folks at MyBookie have decided to offer odds on it.

Their bookmakers were inspired to offer the line based on a July 22 international study. If the scientists are to be believed, the earth’s temperature will is expected to raise between 4.1 and 8.1 degrees Fahrenheit, or 2.3 and 4.5 degrees Celsius.

MyBookie is betting that Covid-19 might have at least delayed that inevitable outcome, and is offering a wager that the Earth’s 2020 global temperature to be under the 2019 mark of 0.99 °C at -700. David Strauss, MyBookie’s head oddsmaker, believes that Covid-19 will have played a big role in decreasing carbon emissions, with less people driving and factories reducing production.

That’s a logical conclusion, but some experts say that the measures taken to reduce Covid-19 spread may actually make global warming worse. And even if Strauss is right, scientists have suggested that climate change is baked in already, and whatever positive changes we make in 2020 won’t show up until 2050. So if you think the earth is getting warmer already, the wagers MyBookie is offering may be your best chance at easy money, and a great way to start saving up for that houseboat you’ll need when the oceans rise.

Houston Astros players used for target practice as season restarts

The Houston Astros were warned. As MLB gets its season underway, currently holding exhibition games ahead of the launch of the regular season, teams are facing off on the diamond, and certain Astros players are finding out that no one has forgotten the cheating scandal that rocked the team – and the entire league – last year. As the team took the field on Tuesday to play against the Kansas City Royals, a few players were probably wishing they had worn additional padding as they became targets of “errant” pitches coming from the mound.

There have been rumors of possible retaliation coming for months, and the coronavirus hasn’t done much to help certain players forget the past. Talk of pitchers taking revenge as Astros players stepped up to the plate even resulted in odds being posted, and William Hill had, at one point, an over/under of 83.5 on the number of players expected to get pelted by a pitch. The MLB average for “accidental” hits is around 66.

In yesterday’s game against the Royals, three Astros players were targets of baseballs that, for some reason (sarcasm), couldn’t be delivered straight over home plate. Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and George Springer were hit by two Royals pitchers – Jackson Kowar and Jorge Lopez – with both Altuve and Bregman becoming targets with the bases loaded. Based on a video uploaded to Twitter of the events, none of the players was seriously hurt (getting hit by a baseball is never a pleasant experience), but the message was still delivered. Altuve took a pitch to his right forearm and Bregman received one that looks to have been aiming for his gut.

The Astros franchise has already suffered because of the scandal, which reportedly involved illegally filming the opposition, and had to pay a fine, as well as lose several key draft picks. The team’s manager and general manager, A.J. Hinch and Jeff Luhnow, respectively, were let go, but no player was ever held responsible. That has led other league teams to promise to levy their own punishment and, as the new MLB season gets underway, they seem ready to deliver.

Teen sensation Joseph Suaalii signs with Rugby Australia

Rugby Australia (RA) has turned the tables on the National Rugby League (NRL) by pulling off the signing of 16-year-old Joseph Suaalii. The teen is tipped by many experts in the code to be a once-a-lifetime talent and has represented the Junior Wallabies and New South Wales in the junior rugby league sides.

The rumour is that Suaalii has been swayed by a $3 million contract offer from Rugby Australia. The size of the contract has drawn outrage from both codes, with Rugby Australia reporting significant losses in 2019 due to a legal fight with former star Israel Folau and the onset of COVID pandemic. Many are questioning how a code on the brink of bankruptcy can make a huge financial offer to a teenager.

It’s been reported in the Australian media that Suaalii turned his back on a $1.2million USD three-year contract with NRL side South Sydney. The teenager will be under instant pressure to perform once he turns out for the Waratahs in Super Rugby.

Suaalii has been training with South Sydney NRL squad during the pre-season and won instant plaudits with the senior members of the side. South Sydney hooker Damien Cook was confident the young gun will be a success in whichever code he decides to take up:

NRL coaching changes take a new turn with hiring of Trent Barrett

The NRL coaching merry-go-round took a further twist with the confirmation that the last placed Canterbury Bulldogs had signed Panthers assistant coach Trent Barrett. Bulldogs CEO Andrew Hill confirmed that Barrett had been signed to a three-year deal and will be taking the reigns at Belmore in 2021. Barrett plans to see out the 2020 season at Penrith where he has transformed the Panthers into potential title contenders.

Canterbury assistant coach Steve Gerogallis will remain as interim head coach until the end of the 2020 season, with Barrett coming into the side in October.

Bulldogs CEO Andrew Hill was confident that the Bulldogs had made the right move in securing Barrett’s services:

“We have acted swiftly to secure the services of Trent because we believe he is the right man to take our club forward, having spoken to Trent on several occasions we have been impressed with his vision for the future of our football team and how he will look to develop our players on and off the field,” Hill said.

Sonny Bill Williams to make shock NRL comeback

Former All Black superstar, Sonny Bill Williams (SBW) is poised for a shock return to the National Rugby League (NRL), following the collapse of his U.K. rugby league deal. Williams, a genuine superstar of the game is poised to make a return to NRL side the Sydney City Roosters.

SBW was signed to a $2.5million USD contract for U.K. Super League side, the Toronto Wolfpack. The Canadian side withdrew from the U.K., citing financial constraints brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic as the main reason.

Roosters chairman Nick Politis was spotted in a lunch meeting with SBW’s agent Khoder Nasser earlier this week. The 34-year old Williams started in the NRL with Canterbury before winning a premiership with Roosters in 2013.

St George Illawarra and Canterbury were both strongly rumoured to be interested in Williams. The Saints were tempted to use the salary cap dispensation for forward Jack de Belin to tempt Williams into joining. The logistics of getting Williams through strict bio-security has seen the Dragons withdraw from the race. The New Zealand Warriors and Bulldogs and Roosters remain in the running, but Williams has his heart set on returning to the Roosters.

MLB opening day: Yankees, Dodgers betting favorites

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

The 2020 Major League Baseball season was to begin March 26, but the coronavirus changed all that. Nearly four months late, the 60-game regular season starts Thursday night with two ESPN nationally televised games: New York Yankees at Washington Nationals (7 p.m. ET) and San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers (10 p.m. ET). Play ball!

The Nationals won their first-ever World Series title last October and in normal circumstances would raise their championship banner at Nationals Park and hand out World Series rings to players before the season opener, but GM Mike Rizzo has said neither will happen until fans are allowed in the stands – and that’s almost surely not going to be the case until 2021.

Until late last week, it wasn’t even a sure thing the Nats were going to be able to play at Nationals Park due to strict coronavirus protocols in DC, but they have been cleared to do so. Washington actually lost all three home games in last year’s World Series yet still beat Houston in seven.

Kenyan football betting sponsorships proving messy

Kenya’s top-flight football league is attracting all kinds of publicity related to gambling operator sponsorship, only some of which can be considered positive.

Last week, Nigerian betting operator BetKing announced that it had struck a five-year title sponsorship deal with the Football Kenya Federation (FKF). The deal, which is reportedly worth Ksh1.2b (US$11.1m), will give BetKing prime exposure in both the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) and the Kenyan Women’s Premier League.

Under the deal, BetKing will pay Ksh220m for the first year of the deal, which takes effect when the new KPL — now the BPL — season kicks off in September. That sum will increase by 5% in year two, with 10% increases over the final three years of the contract.

Individual KPL clubs will reportedly each receive Ksh8m per year through 2025, while the women will have to make do with a total of Ksh10m per year for the whole league. BetKing also inked a separate deal to become the official Division One League title sponsors — the first time the lower tier have had a title sponsor — for a mere Ksh100m.

Bayer Leverkusen star Kai Havertz set for Chelsea switch

Chelsea continue to get the jump on their English Premier League rivals with reports that Kai Harvertz is poised to join Frank Lampard’s side in London.

The Bayer Leverkusen international remains one of the most saught after soccer stars in Europe, with the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich showing interest in the 21-year-old German international. Chelsea have emerged as the only side to have the financial muscle to pull off the deal, with the Blues expected to table an offer of £63m, with add-ons taking the price up to £90m .

Harvertz has been in stunning form for Leverkusen this season, netting 17 goals and eight assists across all competitions. Reports have emerged from German media that Harvetz has agreed to personal terms with Chelsea, and will push the German club to seal the transfer. Leverkusen’s failure to qualify for the Champions League was enough to convince Harvertz to search for greener pastures.

Update @kaihavertz29 & @ChelseaFC: When the training starts again at Bayer Leverkusen on thursday, Havertz wants to talk with his club. his request: the Bosses should let him go to Chelsea @SPORTBILD @AxelHesse1

NSW jockey Adam Hyeronimus guilty for illegal wagers

New South Wales (NSW) jockey Adam Hyeronimus has been found guilty of 30 out of 31 illegal betting charges, dating back to illegal bets that took place over three years beginning in 2016. Stablehand Blake Paine was found guilty alongside the Hyeronimus by Racing New South Wales stewards. The group one-winning jockey faces a potentially long suspension from racing for his part in the scandal.

Racing NSW stewards successfully proved that Hyeronimus had an interest in a $500 bet on ride Lucky Metor at Canterbury in 2016. He was also found to have placed a $500 bet on Limbo Soul, another ride that won on debut at Rosehill in February 2017.

The guilty verdict carries serious implications, with both charges carrying a minimum two-year ban from racing.

The NSW hoop was found guilty of a further 29 bets from 2016 to 2019, all on thoroughbred horse racing. Stablehand Blake Paine was found to have played a part in 31 cases and was convicted of 31 counts of betting for a jockey. Both men will also face additional charges of supplying false evidence to the enquiry.

NSW jockey Adam Hyeronimus guilty for illegal wagers

The guilty verdict carries serious implications, with both charges carrying a minimum two-year ban from racing.

NBA’s Timberwolves soon might have a new owner as potential sale looms

Glen Taylor purchased the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves in 1994 from the team’s original owners, Harvey Ratner and Marv Wolfenson. Things had gotten off to a slow start and the duo had begun to look at relocating the team to New Orleans before the league axed the deal. That led to Taylor, a former senator and owner of the Star Tribune media outlet, stepping in and buying the franchise. He is apparently ready to move on, after 26 years, and there is talk of the T-Wolves being sold to someone else. There aren’t many details available yet about a potential sale, except that it could include a former player that put the team on the NBA map.

In 1995, only a year after Taylor took control of the T-Wolves, Kevin Garnett was selected fifth in the first round, right out of high school. Within two years, the power forward was averaging 18.5 points a game and, in 1997, the team logged its first winning season and made its second playoff appearance. While wearing the Timberwolves jersey from 1995-2007 and again from 2015-2016, Garnett would pick up a league MVP award, an All-Star MVP award, several All-Star appearances (seven in a row from 2000 to his departure), the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award and much more.

Now, Garnett, who retired as a player in 2016, could be coming back to his old haunting grounds as its owner. The NBA reports that he is part of a group that is discussing a potential purchase of the team with Taylor, who will reportedly “entertain opportunities” to make a sale. He explained in a tweet, “I was recently approached by the Raine Group to discuss the future of our franchise. 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 reference to Lynx is about the female basketball team he owns, and which plays in the WNBA.

One of the conditions of any purchase will be that the team remain in Minnesota, something Garnett is apparently on board with. He said on Twitter yesterday, even before Taylor published his own tweet about the sale, “My passion for the Minnesota Timberwolves to be a championship team is well known but I have a deeper affection for the city of Minneapolis. I once again want to see Minneapolis as the diverse and loving community that I know it is.”