Timberwolves superfan from Japan has held season tickets for 20 years

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Mitsuaki Ohno has been a Minnesota Timberwolves fan since the beginning.

But few fans can boast about going to greater lengths for the team than he has over the years.

"People in Minnesota helping me a lot. So not only for the team, also for the organization, the culture of Minnesota is what I love. I love it," Ohno told FOX 9.

Ohno fell in love with the Wolves during their inaugural season in 1989, while he lived in Rochester for two years when he was in junior high.

His family moved back to Japan, but he bought season tickets when the Wolves made a playoff run 20 years ago.

Since then, he's flown the 6,000 miles from Tokyo to Minnesota once or twice a year to watch a handful of games in person at the Target Center.

"If I have a season ticket and the Wolves go to the finals, the ticket is available for me. So I dream to watch the Wolves play in the finals"

That dream came one step closer to becoming reality. When the Wolves beat the Denver Nuggets in game six of the Western Conference semifinals on Friday night.

After the win, Ohno decided to travel to the Mile High City to cheer on his team during their come from behind win in game seven at Ball Arena.

"Once the Denver fans went silent, many Wolves fans were chanting 'Go Wolves' and that's a great atmosphere," said Ohno.

Ohno arrived in Minnesota Monday morning and plans to go to Wednesday night's game against the Mavericks, before heading home to Tokyo the next day.

But he says if the Wolves make it to the NBA finals, he'll be back.

"Why not I'm coming back. I think in three weeks. So it's going to be a tough trip but I want to watch at Target Center," said Ohno.