"I finished and said, 'That's the deal.' "

"A couple of lawyers said, 'Where's the contract?' I said, 'That's it.'

"I look over there and Marv's writing on the back of a No. 10 envelope. I have an 8 1/2 by 11 sheet of yellow paper and he has a No. 10 envelope.

"Marv was sitting on the other side from me. He walked the whole length of the table. He came around, I stood up and I put out my hand, we shook and he said, 'It's a deal.' "

Taylor was telling the tale of the purchase in an afternoon visit to his house in Naples. Fla., in mid-February. Glen and wife Becky were there for a couple of weeks, returned home to Mankato, and then came the maelstrom of March 28, when Taylor claimed Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez had not made a deadline and the Timberwolves were no longer for sale.

Arbitration will decide in 2024, not handshakes.

The simple times of 30 years past were further demonstrated in the hours after Taylor reached that deal with Wolfenson.

"Bob Stein was there and he gave me a number for the NBA office,'' Taylor said. "I went back to my hotel room and called. It was a general number and a lady answered, 'NBA.'

"I said, 'My name is Glen Taylor, you don't know me, but I'd appreciate if you listen to me. I just bought the Minnesota Timberwolves.'

"She sort of laughed and said, 'We hear this stuff.' I said, 'I understand, but I'd like you to take this message to whomever you choose, and tell them to call anyone they deal with in Minnesota, and they will know me.

"She said, 'Just a minute, there is someone I can transfer you to.' And that person comes on the line and said, 'I understand you said you bought the Timberwolves. I don't know who you are, but my name is Adam Silver.''

Silver, now the NBA commissioner, was a deputy to David Stern. And four hours later, maybe a touch more, Silver was landing on the NBA plane in the Twin Cities to meet the new owner of Minnesota's NBA team.

And Marv, the return-of-the-NBA dreamer for Minneapolis, and partner Harv still had their seats for the start of the Kevin Garnett Era.

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