"Befitting a place he calls "MinneSNOWta" on Twitter and an NBA season delayed, new Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio bypassed the skyway on his first day to work Wednesday and chose to walk outside to Target Center because he wanted to feel the winter weather -- and found himself symbolically locked out.

"I was knocking the door and nobody was opening," he said, "and I was like, 'C'mon, man ... ' "

He eventually entered, and it was a strange sight indeed to see him walk down an arena hallway toward the Wolves locker room and shoot in the team's practice facility downstairs a little later.

Yes, he really is here."