Before a preseason game in St. Louis two Octobers ago, Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders sent a message to the opposing locker room via the official scorer who nightly collects starting lineups from each team.
Saunders told the scorer to tell "Thibs" the Wolves would start the game by running a play called "93."
Moments later, Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau received the tip and laughed a laugh that echoed down the corridor.
Sure enough, the Wolves opened by running an isolation play for rookie Andrew Wiggins on the left wing.
Both men knew "93" because fundamental parts of their systems and philosophies were coaching fruit that fell from the same tree: that of career coach Bill Musselman.