What Alex Rodriguez Said During Surprise Podcast Appearance at Minneapolis Brewery

Timberwolves reporter Dane Moore hosted a live episode of his podcast Thursday at Falling Knife Brewery in Minneapolis, and Alex Rodriguez stopped by as a guest.

Moore and Rodriguez talked about last year’s opening series loss to Denver and how much the team has learned over the past 12 months. With Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid out for this 2023 series due to injuries, there was still a lot to like from the Wolves’ performance.

“I go back to last year, this time, when we were playing Denver and even though we were losing four to one, you know, meeting with (president of basketball operations Tim Connelly and head coach Chris Finch) at the end of the year, we felt very encouraged,” Rodriguez told Moore.

They continued to talk about this year’s team, with Rodriguez notably mentioning that Karl-Anthony Towns had 17 technical fouls last season and this year he had zero. He noted how much emphasis they place on physical conditioning and how that has helped them become “one of the best-conditioned teams in the NBA.”

Looking ahead to Friday night’s Game 3, Rodriguez compared the series to his playing career in Major League Baseball and the importance of the game to the Timberwolves.

“I always believed that the winner of Game 3 was the winner of the series,” Rodriguez said. “That’s what (former Yankees manager) Joe Torre would always teach us: Games 3 and 5 are the most crucial of a seven-game series.”

Moore talked about the defensive intensity of the Wolves — the No. 1 defensive team in the league — and Rodriguez compared it to his baseball career and how players like him and Twins legend Joe Mauer appreciate more Gold Glove awards as well as batting titles.

Moore and Rodriguez did not discuss the current ownership situation, in which majority owner Glen Taylor is trying to maintain control after opting to sell the Timberwolves and Lynx to Marc Lore and Rodriguez.