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LEIF ENGER: The gymnasium at Cloquet High School is full of kids, 100 or more of them aligned for layup drills. Some of them so young their dribbling is unrelated to basketball. Between layups, the kids gape at the 20-foot blue and white inflatable wolf dominating one corner of the gym, or at the tall guy in the green T-shirt sinking shot after shot from the top of the key. The kids are impressed, but unchanged. What's your favorite sport, kiddo?

SPEAKER 1: Hockey.

LEIF ENGER: The Iron Range is hockey country, no doubt. But it's also the home of Kevin McHale, he of the green T-shirt. Because of the NBA's current labor dispute, none of the Wolves players are along on this tour. But on the range at least, that hardly matters.

Of all living local heroes, McHale stands tallest. A renowned performer with the Minnesota Gophers and Boston Celtics, he's now the man expected to make the Wolves respectable. But among this crowd, even McHale is second banana.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

LEIF ENGER: With the kids herded into the bleachers, the Wolves mascot Crunch appears. You've seen Crunch. Long fierce snout, pointy wolf ears, bad attitude.

Assistants anchor a small trampoline out near the free throw line. And it becomes clear Crunch intends to slam dunk. What's he going to do this time, Kevin?

KEVIN MCHALE: Reverse backwards. Dunk. Probably hurt himself.

LEIF ENGER: You've seen him do this once or twice?

KEVIN MCHALE: Yeah, about 100 times. There he goes. There you go.

LEIF ENGER: After the mascot, kids line up for photos with McHale and his former Celtics teammate Jerry Sichting, now the Wolves Director of Player Development. Delighted, these photogenic five-year-olds show off their Polaroids. What's your name?

SPEAKER 2: Jake

LEIF ENGER: Jake, who are those two guys you're sitting with there?

SPEAKER 2: I don't know.

LEIF ENGER: Who are those two guys that you're sitting with there?

SPEAKER 2: I don't know.

LEIF ENGER: Who are those guys you're sitting with in that picture?

SPEAKER 2: I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.

TOM HANNEMAN: They don't know anything of his background. They're not aware of his basketball career. But they saw a friendly giant who was happy to take a little bit of time and teaching the game and have a little fun with them.

LEIF ENGER: Wolves broadcaster Tom Hanneman says he enjoys these publicity tours. He says they're good for the team, for local basketball programs, and for the Wolves commercial sponsor, FirstBank. Also, Hanneman seems relieved that there do exist some appreciative uncritical fans, even if they are five years old. Also on this tour, there's the golf to look forward to. 18 holes in every town. 126 holes over two weeks barring thunderstorms. For his part, Kevin McHale calls the outstate tour a foundation, which can only be built upon when the team at last begins to win.

KEVIN MCHALE: The Wolves will become Minnesota's team when we become successful, not before then. But you've got to lay some groundwork now for people to understand. And it's going to work. And I can tell you, when you're going deep in the playoffs and it's June, and they're playing down the Target Center, everybody in the state of Minnesota will have their TVs on.

LEIF ENGER: You're a good golfer?

KEVIN MCHALE: Hit the ball all right.

LEIF ENGER: Timberwolves Vice President Kevin McHale in Cloquet. The Wolves also plan stops in Virginia, Hibbing, Owatonna, Albert Lea, Mankato, and Fairmont. Leif Enger, Main Street Radio.