Clippers Coach Doc Rivers remembers Flip Saunders

Clippers Coach Doc Rivers recounted his favorite Flip Saunders memory at practice Monday, a day after the Minnesota Timberwolves coach died. Saunders was 60.

“The year Flip was fired he basically became one of our assistants and traveled on the plane with us,” Rivers said, recalling 2012, when he coached the Boston Celtics and Saunders, who’d been dismissed by the Washington Wizards three months earlier, joined Rivers’ staff as an advisor at the start of the playoffs. “We had this running thing, Flip and I, that no matter where the city was, we’d walk back to the hotel from shoot around during the playoffs. That was our thing.

“First round, it was Atlanta, a short walk, I think it was like a two-mile walk. Then we got to Philly, and that walk was 7 1/2 miles, so the first day we did it, the second day we did it. Then we lost Game 5, which we could have knocked them out, and we go back in the coach’s room, and everybody was down, but Flip looked despondent. I was like, ‘Why are you so upset?’ He was like, ‘I don’t care about the loss, I’m pissed because we have to walk back to the hotel. 7 1/2 miles.’ And we did it.”

Saunders was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in June. He took a leave of absence from the Timberwolves in September. He was team president, coach and part owner.

Saunders went 654-592 in 17 NBA seasons with Minnesota, Detroit and Washington.

Rivers said that the two men became close during their time coaching at the 2001 Goodwill Games in Australia.

On Sunday, Rivers released the following statement:

“This is a very sad day and my heart, my prayers and my condolences go out to the entire Saunders family. Flip was more than just a friend, he was a confidant and a mentor. The basketball world lost a ‘coaches’ coach’ today, and I lost a great friend.”