Since he joined the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2022-23, veteran guard Mike Conley Jr. and this reporter have often exchanged pleasantries when passing in arena hallways. But it wasn’t until last month, after he rejoined the club, that we finally had an in-person postgame interview.
How does he feel when he is referred to as “old,” similar to how I, having reached senior status, am often asked when I will retire?
At age 39, considered old in basketball years, the 6-1 Conley is a 19-year veteran and a 2007 first-round pick (fourth overall) by Memphis. He declared for the NBA Draft after his freshman year at Ohio State, where he helped the Buckeyes finish as national runners-up in 2006.
“I think the biggest thing is knowing yourself and being comfortable knowing that you still have a lot to offer,” said Conley. “Until that day comes where I get out of bed and just can’t offer this or that.”
After 12 seasons, Conley was traded to Utah in 2019, then to Minnesota during the 2022-23 season, where he played two full seasons. The Wolves traded him away on Feb. 3, but he was brought back after clearing waivers on Feb. 17.
His presence on the youth-laden Wolves was briefly missed and quickly welcomed upon his return. These days, he’s often described as “a locker room guy.”
“It can mean a lot,” he said. “It can mean team psychologist, psychiatrist. It could mean the helping hand, the best friend. It could be the guy that keeps the team together when adversity starts…
“All that stuff is valuable,” Conley continued. “When you have a team full of young guys who want to play hard, there are invaluable lessons that need to be learned. You learn from vets, guys who’ve been around, who’ve been through heartbreak and struggle, steering them in the right direction.”
Conley is a two-time Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year (2019, 2024), a four-time NBA Sportsmanship Award winner (2014, 2016, 2019, 2023), a 2013 All-Defensive second team selection, and a 2021 All-Star.
Early in his career, Conley said he had several role models. “I’d have to say Damon Stoudamire was a big influence on my game and me as a person. I’m quiet by nature. He told me, ‘You’ve got to change when you get on the court. You’ve got to be a different guy. You’ve got to be vocal.’
“I had a whole bunch of guys who influenced my character and who I became,” Conley added.
Ready for the rocking chair? Hardly, the veteran guard stressed.
“I’m still trying to chase my dream, trying to win a championship, trying to accomplish the goals I’ve set,” he concluded. “It doesn’t mean old man, right?”
New CBA signals growth and protections for WNBA players
The WNBA’s new seven-year Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) will begin with the 2026 season and run through 2032. It is being billed as “the first comprehensive revenue-sharing model in women’s professional sports history…providing unlimited upside for players as league and team revenues continue to grow,” according to a league press release.
Among the new CBA features: no player can be traded without consent if they are pregnant at the time.
FINALLY…
Local voice lands national stage with WNBA coverage
Minneapolis native and veteran broadcaster Lea B. Olsen will serve as an analyst for the inaugural season of WNBA coverage on USA Network. Olsen is one of seven Black members on the 12-person broadcast team, which includes Carlan Gay and Meghan McPeak (play-by-play), Tamika Catchings (game analyst), Elle Duncan and Paris Lawson (studio hosts), and studio analysts Renee Montgomery and Chamique Holdsclaw.