Timberwolves' Tolliver keeps faith with business venture

No, the Minnesota Timberwolves forward is not looking to play overseas during the NBA lockout. Instead, Tolliver, recently married, is fully engaged in his real estate business and what he says is a risky apparel venture with a former NBA Development League teammate.

"After I'm done with basketball, I'm going straight into entrepreneurship," says Tolliver, who owns properties in his hometown of Springfield, Mo., and Richmond, Calif., through his company, Say You Can .

"Financially, I'm fine. I'm keeping busy and doing my businesses, so I'm not bored or anything. I don't have any reason to go overseas. … I'm doing what I love to do."

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He recently formed a partnership with Lanny Smith, a teammate from the Idaho Stampede. A 2010 knee injury ended Smith's NBA aspirations, but he soon started Active Faith, a Christian-based apparel company. Tolliver had long been interested in the idea.

Smith and Tolliver have used word-of-mouth advertising to get support from NBA players. The Chicago Bulls' Derrick Rose and C.J. Watson have worn Active Faith wristbands that say, "In Jesus name I play." So has Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.

"It's definitely a movement. It's starting to pick up with the football guys" and other athletes, says Smith, who attended church with Tolliver when they were teammates. "He told me then, 'If you get this up and running, I would like to invest.'

"A lot of guys will say that, but sure enough, when the time came and it needed a boost financially, he was there."

Tolliver, who signed a two-year, $4.8 million deal with the Timberwolves going into last season, is a 2007 finance graduate from Creighton. He began investing when he played professionally in Germany in 2008 and then while in the D-League.

He was called up by the San Antonio Spurs and played 19 games in 2008-09, then played two games for the Portland Trail Blazers and 44 with Golden State the following season. Tolliver started 29 games for the injury-depleted Warriors, averaging 12.3 points and 7.3 rebounds. That success led to a free agent deal with Minnesota.

"Once I went overseas and played for a few months, I was able to scrape up enough pennies to buy my first house," Tolliver says. After signing with the Spurs, "I was able to get another property. I've been able to continuously pick properties, then form my real estate business."

Active Faith is close to his heart; there's interest in the apparel line from private Christian schools. And Smith will be in Atlanta next week to speak at Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard's basketball camp.

Tolliver started Say You Can two years ago with a childhood friend, naming it in honor of his late mother, Donna Lewis, who had those encouraging words since he was in elementary school. He's bringing that same mind-set to Active Faith.

"I'm willing to take a chance. This is like my baby," he says. "I'm passionate about it. Even if it doesn't pan out, I'll have fun trying to build it up."