By Steve Aschburner--Star Tribune
Oct. 7, 2003
Kilborn, a native of Hastings, Minn., and an avid Wolves fan, brought a camera crew along for footage that will air in the next few weeks. The 41-year-old, who played at Montana State, will take part in the team's public scrimmage tonight at Sexton Arena on the St. John's University campus.
"I haven't taped my ankles in 19 years," Kilborn said. "It was good. I thought it would be more intense. But I hurt my back trying to get in shape, and [coach Flip Saunders] said, if anything bothers you, step out. So once they started playing defense, I stepped out."
Kilborn also played Kevin Garnett in a game of H-O-R-S-E.
"KG's in a good mood right now 'cause he signed that big deal," he said. "Man, I could have beaten him. I had him up to R."
Saunders said the team agreed to the stunt for publicity and to break up the monotony of training camp.
"Let's put it this way: He didn't screw up anything that we did," Saunders said. "It's kind of a good loosening-up thing to have."
It also might send a message that it's not so easy for a civilian to step onto the court with the basketball elite.
"A lot of people think guys just run up and down, they don't call many plays, there's not much coaching," Saunders said. "On the contrary, what he finds out is, geez, you've got a lot of plays. Everyone grows up playing basketball, but this isn't like walking into a rec center and just playing."
Kilborn's pre-preseason training regimen? Said Saunders: "He told me he'd been playing halfcourt with Garry Shandling. I told him, 'That's not really the proper way to get ready for training camp.' But it might be more than some of our guys did coming in."
