Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Wes Unseld doesn't attend NBA games anymore, so he won't be there Tuesday when the Timberwolves play at Washington, which is not all that far from his home near Baltimore.
He doesn't follow the league much either, not since he left a 35-year playing and managerial career with Washington-Baltimore Bullets/Wizards a decade ago. He chooses instead to spend his time with family, working at the private school his wife Connie founded in southwest Baltimore three decades ago and tending his garden.
He has seen and does know Wolves star Kevin Love, although not personally even though he was given his middle name Wesley because of him. Love's father, Stan, played with Unseld in Baltimore 40 years ago and named his son after his former teammate because he admired Unseld and considered him a great player and what he once called a "citizen of the world."
Two generations apart, Kevin Love and Unseld now are linked by that connection and their unique abilities then and now to snap a two-handed chest pass far down the court to open, streaking teammates.
All these years later, Unseld can't tell you if Love indeed is the best outlet passer since he played long ago, for a simple reason.
"Never paid much attention to it," he said. "I never looked at it that way. I just look at it as Kevin Love's a fine player."
Now 67, Unseld spends his days working the family business at Unselds' School. He's the morning greeter, office manager and hug-giver at a school that educates and loves children from day care to the eighth grade. When he's not there, he's tending in summer to his carrots, beets and okra — a return to life's simpler ways, like when he grew up in the Kentucky countryside. He cooks meals and bakes bread.
It is worlds away from his professional life long ago, when he was known as a relentless rebounder, punishing presence, capable scorer and uniquely gifted outlet passer. That particular aspect of his game was remarkable enough people still talk about it today.
