NBA players finally hit the court here in Minneapolis on Tuesday, but it wasn't at Target Center.

Nope, Timberwolves players Anthony Tolliver and Derrick Williams as well as Caron Butler and Ben Gordon were the four players listed as plantiffs to represent the rest of their brethern in an antitrust lawsuit the players association -- note: it's not a union anymore -- filed in U.S. District Court here today.

Those four players were chosen because they cover all the bases for all the players they represent: Free agents (Butler), players with current NBA contracts (Tolliver and Gordon) and unsigned rookies (Williams).

Meanwhile, lawyers representing the players also filed a lawsuit in Northern California court. This one listed five players as plantiffs, including superstars Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant.

The lawsuits basically claims the owners' lockout of players is an illegal "boycott" and they ask a judge for three times the amount of players' lost wages, a figure that could surpass $2 billion.

Hotshot lawyer David Boies -- the guy who fought for the NFL owners in their work-stoppage dispute with players last spring and summer -- told reporters in New York City that David Stern made a "mistake" for issuing last week's ultimatum, a take-it-or-leave-it offer that the players contend signal the end of collective bargaining that led them to dissolve the union on Monday.

Here's the short story I wrote for Wednesday's paper about the who and what and why the players' lawyers chose Minneapolis as one of its venues.

The NBA hopes to get this whole matter heard at home in New York City, which is why it filed a pre-emptive lawsuit agains tthe players last summer expecting something like this week's maneuver.

Boies in essence said Tuesday that the purpose of the lawsuits -- and there could be more -- is to produce an agreement with the NBA long before they ever reach litigation.

It's obvious the players don't have the months -- and years probably -- required to see this thing through in the courts.

We'll see where this gamble leas up...