"During the 1997-98 season, Glen Taylor signed star Kevin Garnett to a then-NBA-record $126 million, six-year contract. Compared with that, it wasn't difficult for the Timberwolves owner this week to sign star Kevin Love to a $62 million, four-year contract.

"I've had more experience with these things," Taylor said Thursday. "I feel that I don't have to talk as much, and I feel more confident in our position. We stated right up front what our position (with Love) was, where in the other one (Garnett), it probably took a lot longer - a lot more communications, a lot more back and forth.

"To me, this one was a lot more businesslike. Even though the (discussions about) length went on, I didn't feel it was contentious or anything like that."

Love's agent wanted five years; the Wolves held firm on four. The Garnett contract negotiation was much tougher.

"Because we were talking about the tax phase and all that stuff, so it really cost us a lot of money," Taylor said.

Love's $62 million still is a lot of money. Taylor, who had Wolves President David Kahn negotiate the Love deal, was asked if he enjoys working on player contracts.

"It isn't what I call fun because it's a big, important matter," he said. "I want to get (Love), and I want to make sure we don't make mistakes. And it's always a possibility that you could say something wrong and hurt feelings and stuff."

Love's agent, Jeff Schwartz, asked

that Taylor and Kahn work solely through him and not involve Love in negotiations.

"And David honored that," Taylor said. "The first time I talked to Kevin was yesterday, before he signed the contract. But he had already agreed to it." "