Flip Saunders, RIP

Cancer is vicious. Flip Saunders, who was diagnosed with cancer only a few months ago, died yesterday at the age of 60. The Star Tribune has more:

Saunders was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma — a cancer of the immune system — in June and soon began chemotherapy treatments. In August, the team announced his condition, saying he intended to work uninterrupted while being treated for a cancer his doctors considered very curable.

Saunders had said in a team statement: “I am attacking this with the same passion I do everything in my life, knowing this is a serious issue. I also know that God has prepared me to fight this battle.”

The fight didn't last long, unfortunately. Chemotherapy is nasty and apparently it caused additional complications for Saunders that he was unable to overcome.

I've followed the Timberwolves since we moved here. Saunders has been one of the most important figures in the history of the franchise. Before that, he'd been a Gopher, so he was a Minnesota guy through and through. Even when he was coaching elsewhere, he was a pretty regular presence on the sports scene here. It finally looks like the Timberwolves, who now have a lot of young talent on their roster thanks to the work Saunders has done as a general manager, have a future. It's a shame that the architect of the team won't get to see his work come to fruition. RIP, Flip.