KEVIN MCHALE
Game 275 | February 26, 1980 | Jim Dutcher, Kevin McHale, Randy Breuer
The Gophers went 21-11 in the 1979-80 season. They were disappointed in not being invited to play in the NCAA post-season tourney, but accepted a bid to the NIT where they won four games before losing to Ralph Sampson's Virginia team in the finals. Hibbing-native McHale, in his final season, averaged 17.4 points per game while Lake City freshman Breuer averaged 7.7.
Game 458 | May 11, 1994 | Kevin McHale
Following a Hall-of Fame career with the Boston Celtics, where he played on three NBA Championship teams, Hibbing-born McHale came back to Minnesota as a television analyst and special assistant to the front office. Shortly after his Dunkers appearance he was promoted to Assistant General Manager.
Game 478 | May 25, 1995 | Kevin McHale, Flip Saunders
With McHale in place, the Timberwolves started to rapidly rebuild their front office. Saunders, a teammate of McHale's at Minnesota, joined the team as its president in May 1995 after a most impressive coaching career. At Golden Valley Lutheran his teams went 92-13. After that he had been named CBA Coach of the Year twice with the LaCrosse Catbirds.
Game 640 | September 9, 2004 | Glen Taylor, Kevin McHale, Flip Saunders
Led by the explosive combination of Kevin Garnett, Latrell Sprewell, Sam Cassell and Wally Szczerbiak, the 2003-'04 Minnesota Timberwolves, under Coach Flip Saunders, won two rounds of the playoffs before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2004 Western Conference finals. Things started poorly for the 2004-'05 team, and Saunders was fired in February, with McHale taking over as interim coach.
