Canis Hoopus, a Minnesota Timberwolves community

SF - Ndudi Ebi

"Loyalty is something that hurts you at times, because you can't get youth back,'' Garnett said last month about wishing he had pushed earlier to be dealt from a mediocre Minnesota team. "I can honestly say that if I could go back and do my situation over, knowing what I know now with this organization, I'd have done it a little sooner."

Kevin Garnett and Kevin McHale, 2005 McHale heard Garnett make those comments. He said the huge contract extension Garnett signed in 1997, which played a key role in there being a lockout in 1988-99 and the NBA eventually instituting maximum salaries, hampered Minnesota's ability to improve.

"That's always a tough thing,'' said McHale, who starred with the Celtics from 1980-93 and admits he's rooting for them in the Finals but that it doesn't affect his on-air objectivity. "He signed that huge contract, and that huge contract was somewhat prohibiting the team from going out and finding other people (due to Garnett eating up so much of the salary cap). So it was a two-way street. He did the right thing. The money was offered. He took it. It was right before the new collective bargaining agreement."

After Reggie Miller stopped by to speak to the team last fall, legendary big man Kevin McHale spoke at the team dinner Monday night and was at practice this morning.

He's going to stick around all week to lend his expertise.
...
McHale, who somehow was let go by the Minnesota Timberwolves despite being a native son and doing a solid job building that team (and coaching it, too, at times). For now, he's just wanting to impart as much as he can to the Mavericks.

The Timberwolves' new head of basketball operations had his scheduled dinner meeting with Kevin McHale on Tuesday night, but the coach's future with the team remains uncertain.

David Kahn, who was hired Friday, confirmed the meeting but otherwise had no comment.

With Kahn scheduled to leave this morning for a three-day NBA draft combine in Chicago, a decision on McHale likely will have to wait until at least next week.

Taylor repeatedly had said McHale himself would decide whether he returns, ever since Taylor sent his personnel decision-maker from the front office to the coach's bench in early December.

He reversed course last week, telling the Star Tribune the new boss won't be obligated to retain McHale.