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Japanese Wolves fan makes trip to watch finals against Mavericks

Mitsuaki Ohno puts in a bit more effort than your average fan.

MINNEAPOLIS — Mitsuaki Ohno has become an icon on social media after sharing his trip to Game 7 in Denver. He wasn't going to miss the Western Conference finals.

"I was going to regret it if I didn't go," Ohno said.

Ohno isn't a fair-weather fan. He's been making the 15+ hour travels back to the state to watch the Timberwolves routinely for 35 years.

Ohno lived in Rochester in 1989, the year the team was born. He's followed them ever since despite living in a completely different time zone across the Pacific Ocean.

"It's hard to watch some games when they're at 9 a.m. and I am working," Ohno said.

He has a soft spot for Minneapolis, saying he's brought groups of Japanese students to show them the city. In addition to the Timberwolves, Ohno said he visited childhood friends this week during his trip back.

After Game 1, he was invited onto the court for photos, where he also met Karl Anthony Town's famous girlfriend, Jordyn Woods.

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