SoMnFan
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Interesting Months before he agreed to purchase the Utah Jazz for $1.66 billion, Ryan Smith, who was formally approved as owner by the NBA's board of governors Friday, said he was "really close" to making a bid to buy the Minnesota Timberwolves. Smith, who made his fortune as the co-founder of the Utah-based tech firm Qualtrics, had several detailed discussions with Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor last winter. Smith was seriously considering taking the next step until his wife, Ashley, voiced her objection. "With my wife, something wasn't right. She was putting her foot down," Smith told ESPN. "She was like, 'You know we're Jazz fans, right? That's what we do, and I'm not moving.' She doesn't put her foot down very often, but it was a nice reminder that I was kind of getting caught up in this other world because I liked the business side of it." Smith then approached Gail Miller, whose family had owned the Jazz for 35 years, about potentially buying a share of the team. He was initially rebuffed, but they reengaged in discussions over the summer and worked out a deal for Smith to buy the Jazz along with Vivint Arena, the team's G League affiliate and the Triple-A Salt Lake City Bees. "Ryan Smith is a forward-thinking, community-minded entrepreneur and business leader who will be a fantastic addition to our league," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. "As a lifelong fan of the Utah Jazz and more recently as one of their key marketing partners, Ryan has demonstrated his deep commitment to the Jazz and the Utah community, and there's no doubt he will bring that same level of dedication to the operation of the team." Part of the agreement calls for the team to remain in Utah, which was never a question for Smith, a lifelong Jazz fan whose courtside seats in recent seasons have been next to Greg Miller, Gail's son and the franchise's former CEO, and his wife, Heidi. "Adam Silver said some people get the rare, rare opportunity to get a piece or even an entire NBA team," Smith said. "He said, 'But no one, no one gets their team.' For me to be in a spot here where we get to start this new chapter with our team is why this is so unique, but it's also daunting, right?"
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