New NBA Minnesota Timberwolves Minority Owners Meyer Orbach and Lizhang Jiang were in Las Vegas this week for meetings and to watch the NBA Summer League and both "made it clear" that buying into the team "was the perfect combination of business and pleasure," according to Kent Youngblood of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. Owner Glen Taylor stressed that Orbach and Jiang are minority owners, but they "won’t be silent partners." Taylor said that he is "counting on Orbach, Jiang and recently-hired CEO Ethan Casson -- all three very successful and relatively young -- to invigorate" the Timberwolves and WNBA Lynx in terms of marketing and sponsorships. Neither Jiang nor Orbach "will be involved on the basketball side." Taylor said, "I plan on utilizing them when we talk about sponsors, about running the business. In this business there is new technology. ... They’re in that environment. They’re out there, working every day, in their own businesses. They hear and see things that will be helpful to our organization.” Youngblood notes Jiang "may be able to help the Wolves get a foot in the door with China’s burgeoning interest in sports in general and the NBA in particular." Jiang has "worked with NBA China in the past." Taylor added that Jiang "could help facilitate the Wolves perhaps playing a preseason game in China" (STAR TRIBUNE, 7/14).
