Tuesday marked one-year anniversary of Flip Saunders’ death
Philip Daniel “Flip” Saunders was an American basketball player and coach. During his career, he coached the Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards.
Timberwolves pay tribute to Flip Saunders one year after his death.
On Tuesday marked the one-year anniversary of Flip Saunders’ death and the Minnesota Timberwolves organization clearly showed that his legacy has not been forgotten.
The Target Center have created a tribute to the former head coach and president in the arena’s new premium level series of framed newspaper clippings and photos highlighting Saunders’ time with the franchise.
Several Timberwolves players also paid their respects to Saunders by posting photos and messages on their social media accounts throughout the day.
?????? #hopeyourproudofmecoach #missyou
Always wit us. Thanks coach #FlipRip
Saunders was responsible for acquiring several of Minnesota’s current rotation players.
Saunders died after a brief battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma just before last season and the organization had to shift gears.
Garnett returned to the Timberwolves in a trade with Brooklyn in 2015. Flip Saunders had helped mend the fences that were broken after Garnett’s first exit from Minnesota in 2007, and the coach and the legend talked about Garnett desires to one day get into ownership with the Wolves.
Flip’s plan was to have Garnett passion and work ethic serve as an example for one of the most promising young rosters in the league. KG could reach Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine and Gorgui Dieng on a different and more personal level that the coaches ever could.
The Ohio native first joined the Timberwolves in 1995 as the team’s general manager before becoming head coach that same year. He held the position for the next decade and guided Minnesota to the 2004 Western Conference Finals, which still remains the Timberwolves’ last appearance in the playoffs.
After stints coaching the Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards in addition to an advisory role with theBoston Celtics, Saunders returned to Minnesota in 2013.
He was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma during the summer of 2015.
