Already 62-7 and counting, the Golden State Warriors came to Target Center on Monday chasing the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls' 72-10 greatness.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr knows a little bit about both, having played with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen on those championship Bulls teams in the mid-1990s and then becoming the first in NBA history to win 60 games each in his first two seasons as a head coach in Oakland.
Autograph-seeking fans lined up early Monday morning outside the Warriors' hotel across from Target Center, waiting for a glimpse of superstar Stephen Curry, just like whenever Chicago came to opposing cities two decades ago.
"It actually feels very similar, in terms of the number of people in our hotel looking for autographs," Kerr said. "The difference now is social media and it's not just TV and print. It's all kinds of different stuff that didn't exist then. It does feel very similar in that everybody in the world wants to see Steph, just like they wanted to see Michael and Scottie and that group. It does feel a lot alike."
Kerr knows one thing, whether it was then or now: "They weren't there for me," he said. "I can tell you that."
More than an hour before opening tip, 3,000 fans or more gathered just to watch Curry's pregame shooting warmup.
"Who watches a warmup routine?" Kerr said. "He has become like Barry Bonds in batting practice. People are showing up early just to see him."
Curry, last season's league MVP, is not sure what all the fuss over his pregame routine is about.
"That has been my routine for the last four years or so," Curry said. "It's how I get comfortable before a game, so I feel good about my shot."
Like mother, like son?
With two days between games, Wolves rookie Karl-Anthony Towns and veteran teammate Tayshaun Prince traveled to Des Moines on Saturday to watch their Kentucky Wildcats lose to Indiana in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
"You know what? I had a blast," Towns said. "Never in my career until Iowa did I have a chance to be a fan. I've always been the player playing, having fans cheer us on.
"So it was the first time not worrying about playing, not worrying about the stress of getting ready for the game. I could just sit there and enjoy the game and scream like my mother. I was up there having a lot of fun."
Towns' lone season at Kentucky for coach John Calipari ended in last year's Final Four with a loss to Wisconsin. Prince played four seasons for the Wildcats under Tubby Smith, from 1998 to 2002.
Etc.
• Former D League center Greg Smith's second 10-day contract expires Tuesday and the Wolves must decide whether to re-sign him for the rest of the season or let him go.
• Former Detroit big man Ben Wallace was in town Monday to spend a few days around the team, at the request of longtime friend and Wolves sports-performance director Arnie Kander.
• The Wolves launched a campaign pushing Towns for Rookie of the Year. It's a spinoff of the television show "Cash Cab," retitled "KAT Cab" on a website appropriately named katcab.net. "It was very fun," Towns said. "I actually love the show. It's something I've watched a lot."
