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Wolves Watch: Two more Wolves brought into the fold, no noise on coaching front
Timberwolves top draft pick Ricky Rubio wants his basketball future determined by today, when tryouts for the Spanish national team begin for a European tournament in Poland, Barcelona’s El Periodico reported Wednesday. The paper also said the Regal FC Barcelona team is close to making Rubio, who plays for DKV Joventut in Spain, a five-year offer worth $1.4 million annually with an escape clause allowing him to play in the NBA after two years. Rubio, 18, was paid $97,000 last season…
There’s little doubt that NBA analyst Mark Jackson will be the Timberwolves’ new coach. Former Gophers star Mychal Thompson, who is a Los Angeles Lakers analyst, recommended Jackson to Wolves President David Kahn.
“He’s smart, and everybody respects him,” Thompson said of Jackson.
Let’s talk a little bit about Ricky Rubio, which I know you like. I’m hearing he could go to our team, he could go to Madrid, to Olympiakos… This is the exciting part: he’s got a lot of things going on for him. It would be great to have Ricky with our team. I know his dad and I’m sure they are excited about all the possibilites right now. I had dinner with his dad in Vitoria after we played DKV Joventut in the Euroleague. He is a very nice guy and was very good with his son and the way he talked about him I’m sure they have a great relantionship.
It looks like Wolves GM David Kahn is not worried about Rubio staying in Europe. He should be. He shouldn’t forget that Ricky is Spanish, and sometimes is good to be close to home. And Barcelona is really close to Badalona. You just have to cross the street!
A federal judge in May dismissed several parts of the Williamses’ lawsuit and a related case filed by the NFL Players Association, but sent two issues back to state court because they involve the Williamses’ claims their suspensions would violate Minnesota employment laws. The Williamses and the union are appealing other sections of that ruling.
The baseball, basketball and hockey leagues and the anti-doping agency backed the NFL’s contention that Judge Paul Magnuson should have dismissed those claims, too.
They argued if the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement doesn’t take precedence over the two state laws at issue, sports would be subject to a patchwork of different state laws and regulations. And they raised the possibility the Minnesota Twins, Wild, Timberwolves and Vikings might be allowed to use substances that teams in other states could not, giving them an unfair advantage.
That’s the Timberwolves mascot, Crunch, along with players Ryan Gomes and Corey Brewer.
The gang was at the Rochester YMCA this morning as part of the T-Wolves summer caravan.
Assistant coach J.B. Bickerstaff led a one-hour program on the fundamentals of basketball.
Gomes and Brewer then signed autographs for the kids, and they say there’s nothing better than getting to meet their biggest fans.
