Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Flip Saunders has passed away at the age of 60.
Saunders had been battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma since August. On Friday, the Timberwolves organization announced that Saunders would miss the upcoming season due to complications from the illness.
Saunders began his coaching career at Golden Valley Lutheran College back in 1977.
After successful stints with several colleges and CBA teams, Saunders took his first NBA coaching job with the Timberwolves in 1995.
He went on to coach for the Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards, but returned to the Timberwolves at the start of the 2014 season.
As recently as last month, Saunders had planned to remain in his position for the 2015 season, having described his treatment as a “very treatable and curable form of cancer.”
Sadly, his condition worsened rapidly, and Saunders was forced to step down, appointing assistant coach Sam Mitchell to take over in his absence.
NBA stars such as LeBron James, Kevin Love and John Wall have posted tributes to Saunders on social media.
“Lost a great person in our fraternity way too early,” James tweeted moments ago.
Saunders is survived by his wife, Debbie, and their four children. His eldest son, Ryan Saunders, was recently hired as an assistant coach for the Timberwolves.
