Lewis was a freshman with the Gophers when Saunders began his first stint as Timberwolves coach. One of those former players was Chauncey Billups, who Saunders coached during his tenure with the Detroit Pistons from 2005-2008 en route to a 176-70 record, which is the highest winning percentage of any coach in the franchise’s history.
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Saunders was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in June, and had taken a leave of absence from the Timberwolves last month. Saunders once again took the coaching reins last season to lead a major rebuilding of a team that finished at 16-66. Flip Saunders, at only 33, was his head coach. He coached them until 2005, jumped to the Pistons and spent the next three years with the Washington Wizards-only to rejoin Minnesota in 2014.
In a statement, the team’s owner Glen Taylor said the organization was “devastated” by Saunders’ passing.
“My heart is heavy for Flip’s wife Debbie, son Ryan, who will carry on the basketball coaching torch, and daughters Mindy, Rachel and Kimberly”.
The same could always be said of him. Saunders originally coached Minnesota from 1995 to 2005. He played with future National Basketball Association players like Mychal Thompson, Ray Williams and Kevin McHale, and used every bit of success and learning he received under Bill Musselman and Jim Dutcher to be a top student of the game.
Saunders also signed Ricky Rubio to a four-year contract extension, drafted Zach LaVine, Shabazz Muhammad and Karl-Anthony Towns, brought in veterans Andre Miller and Tayshaun Prince and helped design a new $25 million practice facility across the street from Target Center.
Shaquille O’Neal: “My thoughts and prayers go out to Coach Flip Saunders family and friends”.
“If there’s one thing that brings a smile to my face on this very sad day, it’s hearing his players talk about him”.
“The outpouring of support today has been overwhelming, has truly reminded me that the goodness of people should never be questioned”, he said through his Twitter account in August. Twice he coached in the All-Star Game, and he led Team U.S. to the gold medal in the Goodwill Games in 2001. He was sacked the next season when the team disintegrated thanks in large part to contractual battles with Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell. It was an honor for those lucky enough to interact with him during that time to learn something about the game from Flip Saunders. Given escalating franchise prices and player salaries buoyed by the league’s new $24 billion television contract, Saunders’ share could be worth tens of millions of dollars.
That’s coaching balance, nearly as perfectly as you can get it over a nine-year span.
“Flip you were one of a kind”, former Wolves star Kevin Love, now with the Cleveland Cavaliers, said on Instagram.
“Flip played a huge part in my life”.
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Saunders also had ties to the Celtics organization, serving as a consultant to the coaching staff during the 2012 postseason, during which Boston made a surprise run to the Eastern Conference finals. I lost a beloved friend today, but I can only imagine the heartache his wonderful family is feeling.
