I appreciate the support and loyalty you have shown our franchise throughout the years. As you know, it’s always been our number one goal to bring you both a winning team and great entertainment value. So I am pleased to announce this afternoon that we are starting an exciting era in Timberwolves basketball with the hiring of David Kahn as the new President of Basketball Operations.
After conducting a thorough search, we know David is the right person to lead our basketball department because of his diverse experiences in both basketball and business. David spent nine seasons in the Indiana Pacers front office working with and learning from Donnie Walsh, one of the most respected basketball minds in the game today. While David was with Indiana, the Pacers compiled a 430-276 (.609) record, made eight playoff appearances and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals four times, including an NBA Finals appearance in 2000. More recently, David was involved in the NBA Development League (NBDL) as an owner of four teams.
The time is right to bring in a dynamic and experienced person who will bring new ideas and a fresh perspective to our basketball operations. With experiences as an NBA general manager, NBDL owner, attorney and sportswriter, David’s diversity and creativity will help redefine and streamline our basketball processes – giving us the best chance to win in the coming seasons and for years to come.
I’m excited about the direction our team is headed with our solid core of players, led by Al Jefferson, Kevin Love and Randy Foye. With three first-round picks in this year’s draft and a favorable salary cap situation, we feel that we are in an excellent position to move our team forward. I am confident that the addition of David Kahn to lead our basketball operations will help us return to the NBA playoffs.
I’m looking forward to an exciting 2009-10 NBA season and a great future for Timberwolves basketball.
Once again, thanks for your support.
Sincerely,
Glen Taylor
Please join us on Timberwolves.com to catch a live stream of today’s press conference at 12noon.