Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg had just concluded his media session on Sunday afternoon after practice when he learned of Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders’ death, one of Hoiberg’s NBA mentors.
Hoiberg, who played his final two years in Minnesota under Saunders and was formerly president of basketball operations there, was still processing the news when he graciously spoke with reporters again.
“I just … little bit of shock right now,” Hoiberg said. “Flip played a huge part in my life from everything from bringing me in and giving me a chance to taking a lot of the philosophy that he had. He’s a great mentor, he’s a great leader. … That’s the thing. Riding home on a plane, win or lose, Flip was always upbeat, talking to you, he’d come back and sit down and see how you’re feeling, especially during struggles.
"He’s a fatherly figure, such a caring individual. It’s just awful how this whole thing went down.”
Saunders, 60, had been battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma, but doctors had earlier described it as “very treatable and curable.”
“He’s a great basketball man,” Hoiberg added. “He accomplished some really special things with the Timberwolves. … There’s not one person that you could talk to to get to say one bad thing about Flip Saunders.”