--When he was introduced by his new team Tuesday, Ricky Rubio told reporters a move to Minnesota now would be risky and complicate his life and said he chose to stay home in Barcelona so he could develop himself as a player and win titles with one of Europe's best teams.
He also said the fact that he was selected fifth overall by the Wolves rather than one of the draft's top two or three players financially affected his decision.
David Kahn called Rubio's decision a family matter akin to the point guard's parents "sending their child off to a foreign college where the other students are sometimes as much as 35 years old. I completely understood. It was very hard on them. I could see on their face the separation anxiety with having their son very far away."
--The Wolves' new coaching staff is decidedly "old school," and with some considerable name recognition as well. New head coach Kurt Rambis has supplemented No. 1 assistant Dave Wohl with former Detroit Pistons bad boy center Bill Laimbeer and former Sacramento head coach Reggie Theus. Laimbeer, 52, resigned as the Detroit Shock's head coach and general manager in June after winning three WNBA titles in seven seasons as its coach. He did so in a surprise move presumably to pursue a coaching career in the NBA, where he won two NBA titles with the Pistons displaying an agitating playing style that
earned him the nickname "His Heinous." He has never coached in the NBA.
Theus, 51, coached the Kings to a 44-62 record before being fired last winter 24 games into his second season as coach. He previously coached New Mexico State for two seasons and was an assistant coach to Rick Pitino at Louisville before that.
Wohl coached the New Jersey Nets in the mid-1980s and was an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers when Rambis played there. He most recently worked as Boston's assistant general manager.
J.B. Bickerstaff is the only member of the previous coaching staff who will remain on the bench.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I have nothing but his word that he wants to come. He doesn't have to." -- Wolves basketball boss David Kahn, on whether Ricky Rubio intends to come to the team in 2011, or ever.
