Carlisle and McHale are just two of a half-dozen NBA coaches to play for the Celtics' 1986 championship team. Danny Ainge, Larry Bird, Dennis Johnson and Sam Vincent also walked the sideline at some point, though McHale said that isn't a big surprise considering the intellects on those Celtics teams, which won a pair of NBA titles in the '80s.

"That was a team that had a bunch of guys that really knew how to play Basketball," McHale said. "Later on in my career, when you had new guys come in, you realized how blessed you really were. Because you'd say, 'Hey, let's change this coverage,' and they'd look at you like, 'What?' And you'd say, 'Oh, boy.' "

Carlisle also played for the Knicks and Nets in a five-year NBA career - and as his career wound down, he tried to play for the Timberwolves, too. The 6-foot-5 guard was invited to the expansion Wolves' first free-agent camp in the summer of 1989, an experience he won't forget.

"It was the most physical three days of Basketball I've ever been involved with," Carlisle said of the camp, mostly made up of CBA players and fringe NBA players. "The reason was that Bill Musselman (Minnesota's first coach) had referees come in and (he) told them basically not to call any fouls. Bill wanted to find out who really wanted to play. ... It was extremely competitive."

Particularly for a veteran who had just sat out a full season after surgery on his shoulder. "That was my first soiree back into NBA-level stuff," he said, practically wincing at the thought. "I got through it."

But he didn't make the team.

Briefly: The Wolves have two days off before returning to action Friday night at Target Center against Golden State.