ROSEVILLE, Minn. — At a time when hope for the Timberwolves season is in increasingly short supply, Beloved Studios in Roseville is the epicenter of optimism.
"I think they were built for this moment," said JC Stroebel. "What an amazing story it will be when they win four in a row and go to the Finals."
He certainly hopes so. Stroebel has spent the past three weeks cranking out nothing but $20 "Naz Reid" tattoos, following an offer he made, half-jokingly, on X.com.
Even if it's much more likely that the Timberwolves storybook run ends more abruptly, Stroebel says that demand hasn't died down.
"Out of hundreds and hundreds of scheduled appointments we've had like five cancellations," Stroebel said. "As we're speaking, we're still getting more emails and requests for "Naz Reid" tattoos, so we're pretty die-hard around here."
Besides, Naz Reid himself is inked to a multi-year contract with the team and Stroebel says that fans who are signing up for a tattoo are far from fair weather.
"Naz really epitomizes the Timberwolves," said Dylan Gorman, who decided to make Naz Reid his first tattoo. "My Dad died a couple of months ago and we were huge Timberwolves fans together, so it's kind of the reason I got the tattoo."
Gorman says the timing of the tattoo is also significant.
"I also have my wedding on Friday," he said with a laugh.
Despite a busy week of wedding preparations, his fiancé, Megan Firl came along to the appointment to document the occasion.
"It's not something I would necessarily do,” Firl said. “But I'm going to support him doing it.”
"She almost got one with me, but I couldn't quite convince her,” Gorman said.
"We'll do it after the wedding,” Stroebel said.
Across the hall, Shannon Dolan was also eager to add Naz Reid to a couple of names that already adorn her body.
"I have my kids names on my wrists," she said,
Though she admits that she hasn’t been a Timberwolves fan for super long, Dolan says Naz and his teammates have become a small extension of their family thanks to all the memories.
"My husband and kids and I have been so into the Wolves and they've been playing so well,” She said. “So it's like, this is meaningful, too."
"That's how it started out for me as well,” said Jesse George, who gave Dolan her tattoo. “Going to games with my dad and then eventually going to games with my whole family."
Goerge said that Dolan’s tattoo made it an even 100 Naz Reid tattoos for him, but he and Stroebel say they have no intention of stopping any time soon.
“I think at the shop we're up to 310,” Stroebel said. "People just keep showing up, so I'll keep doing them."
He says that kind of demand is something he couldn’t even dream of a few weeks ago, considering he’s still an apprentice venturing into a new career.
"What I thought would be a funny Tweet to my 190 Twitter followers turned into a clientele I feel like I'll be able to have my entire career,” he said. “That's more than I ever could have hoped for.”
If you’re interested in a Naz Reid tattoo, send an email to nazreidtattoos@gmail.com. Stroebel says they plan to honor all appointments made before the Timberwolves season is over, so if you’re not an optimist you might want to book one now.
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