Minnesota Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders, who was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma in June, died Sunday at the age of 60.
Saunders went 654-592 in 17 NBA seasons with the Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards.
“It is with extreme sadness that the Minnesota Timberwolves today learned that Phil ‘Flip’ Saunders, who served as the team’s President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach, in addition to being a minority owner of the team, passed away today at age 60,” the Timberwolves said in a statement.
Saunders sat out the preseason after being diagnosed with cancer, but he was expected back at some point this season. However, he had been hospitalized since September after experiencing complications following the completion of chemotherapy.
The Timberwolves had announced Friday that Saunders would miss the entire 2015-16 season. Sam Mitchell has been coaching the team throughout the preseason in Saunders’ absence and general manager Milt Newton is handling the front-office responsibilities.
Saunders first became an NBA coach in 1996 with the Timberwolves and eventually led the team to eight straight playoff appearances.
After being fired by Minnesota in 2005, Saunders was hired by the Pistons the following season and took Detroit to the conference finals for all three seasons he was coach.
After a three-year stint with the Wizards, Saunders returned to the Timberwolves in 2013 — after eight years away — as team president and part owner. In 2014, he took over again as coach.
Chicago Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg, who played for Saunders with the Timberwolves from 2003-05, said he was in “a little bit of shock.”
“Flip played a huge part in my life. Everything from bringing me in and giving me a chance to taking a lot of the philosophy that he had,” Hoiberg said Sunday. “He was a great mentor, a great leader … a special, special person.
“And that’s the thing, you’re riding home on a plane win or lose — Flip was always upbeat. (He’d) talk to you, come back and see how you’re feeling, especially during struggles. He was a fatherly figure, such a caring individual. It’s just awful how this whole thing went down with the complications from his cancer. It’s just a sad, sad day. He’ll be greatly missed.”
A standout offensive coach, Saunders specialized in coaching point guards. But his greatest impact may have been on a big man who came straight from high school in 1995 — Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett. Under Saunders’ tutelage, Garnett developed into one of the best players in the NBA and eventually an MVP.
Garnett posted posted a photo of himself sitting in front of Saunders’ parking space in the team’s parking lot, staring at his coach’s name on the wall. Garnett’s message with the photo said: “Forever in my heart….”
John Wall, who played for Saunders with the Wizards, issued his condolences on Instagram: “The sting of losing another loved one to cancer doesn’t get any easier. My thoughts & prayers are with the Saunders &Twolves family.”