In the end, Michael Beasley's "All Star Classic" became more of a friends and acquaintances thing.
Organizers promoted appearances by Kevin Love, Kevin Durant, John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and other NBA stars, but Friday's turnout at Osseo High included several of Beasley's Timberwolves teammates, Golden State's Dorell Wright, a collection of summer-league players and former WNBA player Tamara Moore in one of those typical 179-170 pickup games won by Team Beasley over the Visitors.
If you're a Timberwolves fan thinking long term, the most important presence might not have been a player, though, but one of the celebrity coaches.
And I'm not talking Adrian Peterson.
Former Lakers guard Norm Nixon was there to support Beasley, with whom he has worked much of this prolonger NBA summer.
Nixon was Jalen Rose's agent when David Kahn worked for Indiana.
After seeing that relationship work, Kahn reached out to Nixon last spring and asked him to work with Beasley over the summer both on and off the court.
Despite the June drafting of Derrick Williams, it's obvious Kahn still is investing a lot in helping Beasley all he can be.