CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA – The first time top NBA draft picks Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker faced each other, fans lined out the gym doors and far past the bathrooms just to get a peek at the future on a blistering July evening at Las Vegas Summer League.
On Friday, fans queued up at box-office lobby windows on a blustery autumn night in Iowa and filled 7,000-seat U.S. Cellular Center for a preseason rematch.
This time, Wiggins wore a Timberwolves jersey during a 105-98 loss to Milwaukee that drew twice the number of spectators but lacked the same sort of electricity on a night when Wolves star Ricky Rubio was rested and didn't play.
The two players just might be linked for the rest of their pro careers, if for no other reason than they were the first two selections in last June's NBA draft. Their selection order — Wiggins No. 1 to Cleveland, Parker No. 2 to Milwaukee —just might alter the league's historical course.
The Cavaliers, of course, chose Wiggins first in June and traded him in August to the Wolves in the deal that sent Kevin Love to Cleveland.
"Those were the top two guys, but no one really knew until the pick was made who was actually going No. 1," Wolves coach and president of basketball operations Flip Saunders said. "They both bring something a little different, but both are important as the building blocks for their organizations."
Parker is the former Duke star and multidimensional offensive player deemed by many NBA scouts as the most ready to play now. On Friday, he was the guy who delivered a 21-point, 11-rebound, two-assist performance in 35 minutes – despite early foul trouble – that included a spinning slam-dunk of an exclamation point in the final 30 seconds after the Wolves chopped a 14-point deficit down to just one point twice in the final minute.
"I understand what it takes to win and be professional," said Parker, who has gone from playing for one Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski) to another (Jason Kidd). "That's what I keep in mind: Keep the team in mind and that's all that matters."