Curley, a Boston native, is back for his third stint with Minnesota -- a familiar team with a familiar face, Wolves vice president Kevin McHale, whom Curley watched growing up as a Boston Celtics fan.

Curley, 29, moves a bit more slowly than the first time around, but as coach Flip Saunders puts it, "Billy never got by because of his athletic ability, he got by because of his smarts and because he really knows how to play."

Curley's legacy through seven seasons, five teams, 147 games and 11 team changes is toughness. Not just the kind you get from diving for loose balls and elbowing for rebounds, or even from waiting your turn on the bench. It's the toughness that comes from blowing out your left ankle your rookie season and having it misdiagnosed, then hurting your right knee while compensating, then spending most of 2 1/2 seasons rehabilitating, then trying to catch on with a team when you're a step slower.