David Kahn is in his second season as the Timberwolves' President of Basketball Operations after being named to the position on May 22, 2009. During his first year with the organization, Kahn has overseen the transformation of the roster into a young, athletic and up-tempo team, while also working to change the organizational culture through expanding the basketball operations and player development staff and upgrading the team's facilities.
During his tenure in
Kahn brings a wealth of diverse skills to the Timberwolves stemming from previous positions in both the on court and business sides of professional basketball, including nine years on the basketball operations staff of the Indiana Pacers. In addition to holding the titles of Assistant to the President for one season and Assistant General Manager for two years, Kahn also served four seasons as the team's General Manager, where he worked with and learned from one of the most storied minds in the league in Donnie Walsh.
In his role as GM, Kahn assisted Walsh with player acquisitions, trades, the NBA Draft, contract negotiations and salary cap management. Additionally, Kahn represented the Pacers on the NBA's Competition Committee, and also David Kahn oversaw the design, development and marketing of Conseco Fieldhouse, widely considered one of the premier venues in the league. The Fieldhouse elevated the Pacers into the top third of the league in local revenue, despite being the NBA's fifth-smallest market. From the time Kahn joined the Pacers organization in 1995 until his departure in 2004, the team compiled a 430-276 (.609) record, made eight playoff appearances and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals four times, including an NBA Finals appearance in 2000.
In 2002, Kahn transitioned his work with the Pacers into an advisory role and began spearheading an effort to bring Major League Baseball to his hometown of Portland, Ore. Kahn helped create the Oregon Stadium Campaign, a private entity that led Portland's drive for an MLB franchise during the league's relocation of the Montreal Expos. He led the lobbying efforts that resulted in a $150 million construction bill for a new baseball stadium in Portland while serving as Mayor Vera Katz's Special Advisor on baseball until her retirement in 2004.
Prior to joining the Timberwolves, Kahn spent the previous four years working with the NBA Development League through Southwest Basketball, LLC. Kahn's company owned and operated five D-League teams. Kahn's involvement proved instrumental in the growth of the D-League from eight to 16 teams and the development of the D-League as an NBA farm system with affiliations to NBA teams.
After graduating from UCLA in 1983, Kahn began his career in sports as a writer and columnist covering the NBA for the Portland Oregonian from 1984-89 before joining the staff of NBC's "NBA Showtime" studio show from 1990- 95.While serving as a basketball consultant for the show and working closely with the on-air talent including Bob Costas, Julius Erving and Pat Riley, Kahn earned his law degree at New York University in 1993 and later began working for Proskauer Rose LLP, the firm that provides outside counsel to the NBA and a variety of other sports entities.