NYC Mayor Joining Alex Rodriguez's Timberwolves, Lynx Bid

New York City royalty is making a run on Minnesota hardwood.

Per Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, former NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg is joining Alex Rodriguez's bid to fully take over the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx basketball franchises. The former New York Yankees star currently carries a 40 percent stake in the teams with business partner Marc Lore and is currently engaged in a legal battle with majority owner Glen Taylor.

A businessman and philanthropist, Bloomberg, 82, served three terms as the Mayor of New York City, succeeding Rudy Giuliani. He made an unsuccessful bid at a Presidential nomination during the 2020 U.S. elections and was recently awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country's top civilian honor.

Taylor, who purchased the Timberwolves and Lynx in 1994 and 1999 respectively, has claimed that Rodriguez, Lore, and their partners have not presented the necessary capital or met the deadlines agreed upon in their purchase.

Mar 3, 2020; West Palm Beach, FL, USA; Presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg speaks during his Super Tuesday rally at the Palm Beach County Covention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida on March 3, 2020. Mandatory Credit: Greg Lovett/The Palm Beach Post via USA TODAY NETWORK | Palm Beach Post-USA TODAY NETWORK via

The opposing group has denied Taylor's claims but adding Bloomberg, armed with a net worth of over $106 billion according to Forbes, should leave no doubt once all is said and done. The Athletic's report hints that Bloomberg's inclusion, which will provide part of the remaining $300 million necessary to give Rodriguez and Lore complete control of the franchises, could speed up the timelin to completely buy Taylor out before the end of next season.

The potential full transfer comes at an interesting point on each side's timeline: the Timberwolves are fresh off their most successful season in decades, as a homegrown core of Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns created their first Western Conference Finals appearance since 2004. On the WNBA side, the four-time champion Lynx have missed the playoffs just once since 2011 and are currently headlined by three-time All-Star Napheesa Collier.

Rodriguez and Lore's group reportedly has big plans for the franchises, including a new arena to replace Target Center and a new regional sports network said to be modeled off New York's YES Network.

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