Cole Aldrich was vacationing with his wife in Italy when a lifelong dream came to fruition.

He had sealed a deal to play for the Minnesota Timberwolves, the team he grew up watching in suburban Minneapolis. Because of the time difference, a giddy Aldrich decided to send his father a text message rather than give him a call.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Aldrich says he told his dad he was coming home. The message did not quite have the effect he had expected. His father hollered that he thought Aldrich was coming home from vacation.

Aldrich was a high school standout at Bloomington Jefferson in suburban Minneapolis before going on to win a national championship at Kansas. The 7-foot center was the 11th overall pick by Oklahoma City in 2010, but had a hard time finding footing in the league while starting his career with a team that had quickly emerged as a Western Conference power.

Aldrich got a three-year, $22 million contract from the Wolves, but he doesn’t expect the money to change him.