T-Wolves boss targets China

Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor speaks during an exclusive interview with China Daily on Tuesday in Beijing. Chen Xiangfeng / China Daily

While young potential superstars Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine and Karl-Anthony Towns are enjoying the rarefied air above the rim and fascinating the world with their talent, Glen Taylor is also ready to make a slam dunk, in his own way.

The 75-year-old billionaire owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves is traveling with team CEO Ethan Casson in China this week, looking to make the high-flying Timberwolves a "home" team to some of the more than 300 million NBA fans in a nation where teams like the Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers have carved out huge fan bases.

Minnesota might sound a bit more distant, but the Timberwolves are no strangers to Chinese fans thanks to veteran superstar Kevin Garnett and a new generation of flashy talent led by Wiggins, LaVine, Towns and Ricky Rubio.

Taylor is aware of the sport's popularity here but realizes his team has to excel on the court and develop to a competitive level in the league in order to gain more fame and fans in China.

"It makes the situation exciting when you have young talents like Zach, Karl and Andrew. I hope they can live up to fans' expectations in the new season," said Taylor, whose team opens the 2016-17 NBA season against the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday morning (Beijing time).

"I have an overall goal that first we make the playoffs. Then we learn how to play in the playoffs and then we do well in the playoffs.

"I don't think we can win (the championship) this year, but making the playoffs would put us in a position to go for a championship each season for quite a few years."

In June, Taylor took on a Chinese partner to give that effort an extra boost when businessman Jiang Lizhang purchased a 5 percent stake in the Timberwolves, becoming the first Chinese citizen to own part of an NBA team.

"He is young and reliable," said Taylor. "He is caring and has enthusiasm for the team. He lives here and can give us information on how to market in China better."

One of the most effective vehicles for gaining direct access to Chinese fans is NBA Global Games China. Since 2004, the league has hosted 22 preseason games here, and all of them sold out.

This season's edition, featuring the Houston Rockets and the New Orleans Pelicans in Shanghai and Beijing, again garnered massive attention from fans as well as the league's media and marketing partners.

Taylor is a fan of the Global Games and said he is willing to bring team to China when the opportunity arises.

"Hopefully it can happen quickly. It would be terrific to have the team play in China," he said.

chenxiangfeng@chinadaily.com.cn