Minnesota Timberwolves head coach and part owner, Flip Saunders, has unexpectedly passed away from cancer on Sunday.
The death of Saunders, 60, comes as a shock, as while team owner Glen Taylor had announced Friday that Saunders wouldn’t be returning to the team this season, it was assumed that Saunders would continue receiving treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma and eventually return to the team in some capacity in the near future.
Instead, Saunders’ sudden passing has sent shockwaves around the NBA, as the league lost one of its most gregarious and kind ambassadors and successful coaches.
Working his way up from the backwaters of minor basketball leagues, Saunders won over 1,000 games in his coaching career, including amassing a 654-592 record in his 17 years as an NBA coach, coaching the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Detroit Pistons and the Washington Wizards, via ESPN.
“Flip was a symbol of strength, compassion, and dignity for our organization,” Taylor said in a statement, NBA.com reports. “He was a shining example of what a true leader should be, defined by his integrity and kindness to all he encountered.”
Current Timberwolves Kevin Garnett and Ricky Rubio were quick to pay tributes to the long-serving NBA great, as well as former Timberwolves player Kevin Love and even LeBron James.
“The NBA family is mourning today over the tragic loss of our friend and colleague, Flip Saunders,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “... Flip's untimely passing has left a gaping hole in the fabric of our league. Flip was a beloved figure around the NBA, nowhere more so than in Minnesota, demonstrating a genuine and consistent passion for his players, his team and the game.”
“On behalf of the NBA, we offer our most sincere condolences to Flip's wife, Debbie, their four children and the entire Minnesota Timberwolves organization,” Silver added.