Minnesota Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders, who was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma in June, died Sunday at the age of 60.
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The second offer came from longtime AD Joel Maturi, who looked at Saunders as his dream hire to replace Dan Monson in 2007. It’s just a sad, sad day. “He was so looking forward to the future”, Thompson said. Under his tutelage, then-high school draftee Kevin Garnett developed into one of the greatest players of the 2000s.
“It’s just a shame he never was able to win a championship (in the NBA)”. After that, the Wolves didn’t have a losing record till the 04-05 season. Garnett returning to the team he spent his best years with came to past because Saunders was involved.
Minnesota, who have an exciting young roster that includes the last two No 1 overall draft picks Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns, open their season on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Saunders won 64 games in his first season in Detroit in 2005-06 and 176 in his three seasons coaching the Pistons. When Bill Blair was sacked 20 games into the season, Saunders was suddenly the head coach of a struggling franchise that had never made the playoffs.
I was amazed at the type of support that players gave Saunders after finding out about his death.
Saunders’ basketball relationship with Minnesota goes back to 1974 when he played college basketball for the University of Minnesota.
Kevin Love, former Timberwolves player now with the Cleveland Cavaliers: “Flip you were one of a kind”.
For all its competitiveness and jealousies and rivalries and Type-A personalities, the National Basketball Association is very much family, and it mourns as one today. Practice was halted, and a devastated Garnett left the floor, walked to the parking garage at the practice facility and sat down in the spot marked for Saunders.
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I can only imagine what was/is going through the mind of man many believe is a true warrior. Garnett must be thinking about what could of happened different to change this outcome. But Saunders chose to remain with the Wolves. While I’m happy to help John and Lindsey and others cover the team from press row because it’s something they like to do and it adds to our coverage here at Canis Hoopus, my policy since taking on management of this site has been that I want to be “outside”. But he took a leave of absence from the team in September after complications arose during his treatment, which included chemotherapy. “Certainly thinking about him and praying for him and his family”. “I’ll miss talking with him.” – agent Jeff Schwartz. Courtesy their best record in the West in 2004, he was named the West All-Stars Head Coach. Marbury, who know plays half-a-world away in China, reflected on the man who taught him to play point guard as an extension of the coach. “That’s why this is so heartbreaking to see him gone so soon, way too young… this does not feel right”. Here’s hoping the Saunders family and franchise can recover from this terrible situation.
