Saunders, the team’s president of basketball operations, had also served as head coach of the T-wolves, Pistons and Wizards during his career. He left the team in early September after suffering a setback while battling cancer. Saunders, who is also a minority owner of the Timberwolves, was diagnosed in June.
MORE: Remember those the sports world lost in 2015 | Players pay respects to the late Flip Saunders The team anticipated that Saunders would be away from basketball for months once he started experiencing complications from chemotherapy. Still, the death of Saunders, who returned to Minnesota in 2013 after stints with the Pistons and Wizards, came as a surprise. Doctors said in August that his cancer was “very treatable and curable.” The team’s majority owner Greg Taylor sent his condolences Sunday afternoon" “… Flip was a symbol of strength, compassion and dignity for our organization. He was a shining example of what a true leader should be, defined by his integrity and kindness to all he encountered. Today is not a day to reflect on Flip’s accomplishments in basketball or what he brought to us as an organization on the court, but rather to indication what he meant to use a co-worker, friend, member of the community and the basketball world at large. We as an organization are devastated by his passing, and our hearts and prayers go out to Debbie and the entire Saunders family as they endure this extraordinary loss.” NBA commissioner Adam Silver released a statement on Saunders’ passing:
“The NBA family is mourning today over the tragic loss of our friend and colleague, Flip Saunders. With more than 40 years around the game, 20 of them in the NBA, 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.” He was named the Timberwolves coach for the second time in 2014. He had a regular season record of 654-594 and a postseason record of 47-51. Saunders led the Pistons to a franchise-best 64 wins in 2005-06. A former CBA coach, Saunders was tabbed as the Timberwolves general manager in 1995 then named the team’s head coach in December of that year. He led the franchise to its first winning season and first playoff berth. After eight playoff appearances in 10 seasons with the team, he is the only Minnesota coach to have a winning record. Saunders’ history in the Twin Cities stretches back nearly 40 years as he started more than 100 games at the University of Minnesota and was on the team that went a school-best 24-3 in the 1976-77 season. He played alongside Mychal Thompson and future ‘Wolves coach Kevin McHale. Before then, he was an All-American at Cuyahoga Heights High School, and in 1973 was named Ohio’s Class A High School Basketball Player of the Year, scoring 32.0 points per game. Saunders was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Sam Mitchell was named as the head coach of the team in the interim. General manager Milt Newton’s also took more responsibilities with the absence of Saunders.
