The Minnesota Timberwolves advanced to the Western Conference Finals Sunday night after their 98-90 Game 7 victory over the Denver Nuggets.
It marks Minnesota’s first trip to the conference finals since 2004, and the team and its fans are overjoyed.
Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards inadvertently launched a new state slogan while appearing on ‘Inside the NBA’ after Sunday night’s victory.
I have not been to Minnesota in probably 20 years.” – Charles Barkley
“Bring ya ass!” – Anthony Edwards ššļøšpic.twitter.com/mpsFCXDfRQ
ā Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 20, 2024
“I’ve not been to Minnesota in probably 20 years,” Charles Barkley said as he solicited restaurant recommendations from Edwards, who told Barkley, “Bring ya ***” to the state.
The interaction went viral, first with comedian Jon Savitt purchasing the domain “bringya**.com” and redirecting it to the website of Explore Minnesota, the state’s tourism agency. Axios Twin Cities’ Nick Halter was the first to bring attention to this discovery.
Comedian/Wolves fan @savittj purchased https://t.co/ErxmNWSJ8r and then redirected it to Explore Minnesota's website
— Nick Halter (@nickhaltermpls) May 20, 2024
If that wasn’t good enough, Explore Minnesota acknowledged the joke an hour later and posted on X (formerly Twitter) with the newfound catchphrase on a graphic.
Minnesota is ready for you, basketball fans! š Let's go, @Timberwolves! šŗ pic.twitter.com/AXz4RR1tdW
— Explore Minnesota (@exploreminn) May 20, 2024
Whereas multiple NBA teams share their states with other teams, the Timberwolves are Minnesota’s lone representative in the league. This allows the entire state to get behind the team and support its efforts to make the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. The Timberwolves will host the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night to open the series.
Barkley was in Minnesota in 2019 to cover the Men’s Final Four, played at US Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings.
[NBA on TNT, Nick Halter, Explore Minnesota]