The basketball world on Sunday mourned the death of Minnesota Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders.
"Hurts to hear about Coach Saunders," Jazz forward Trevor Booker, who played for Saunders when they were both part of the Washington Wizards organization, wrote on Twitter. "Such a great guy and taught me a lot. Prayers for his family."
Jazz players Joe Ingles, Rudy Gobert and Trey Lyles, as well as assistant coach Johnnie Bryant, were also among those expressing their sympathy to Saunders' family on Sunday.
Saunders, 60, was diagnosed this summer with Hodgkin's Lymphoma and, when the news was announced in August, doctors called it a "very treatable and curable form of cancer."
"I am taking it step by step and day by day to understand how to best manage this process," Saunders said in a statement at the time. "… 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."
But as the weeks wore on, it became clear Saunders' condition was worsening as a temporary leave of absence was announced before, last week, Wolves owner Glen Taylor said Saunders would not coach the team this season.
Saunders coached the Timberwolves, Wizards and Detroit Pistons during his 20-year NBA career.
"Flip's untimely passing has left a gaping hole in the fabric of our league," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. "Flip was a beloved figure around the NBA, nowhere more so than in Minnesota, demonstrating a genuine and consistent passion for his players, his team and the game."
Passing the torch
USA Basketball is preparing to soon pass the torch from one legend to another.
And Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder, who has studied the game under both men, likes the plan for succession.
"It makes complete sense," he said this week.
Duke's Mike Krzyzewski coached Snyder in college and later hired him to be a part of his coaching staff. After a wildly successful stint at the head of Team USA, Krzyzewski will say goodbye after next summer's Olympics in Rio de Jainero, Brazil. After that, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, will take the reins for at least the next four years.
"You're talking about two people that served in the military," Snyder said. "One at West Point. One at the Air Force Academy. Their lives have a patriotic quality. … To me, it's pretty special."
Day of rest
The Jazz did not practice Sunday after going through a three-hour long practice on Saturday. Utah opens the regular season Wednesday night in Detroit. But even with a few extra days to prepare for the Pistons, the Jazz say their focus remains on themselves.
"For us, we have a system and we have principles, no matter who we're playing, that are always going to stay the same," forward Gordon Hayward said after Saturday's practice. "We have absolutes and today we were able to work on a lot of those things."
afalk@sltrib.com
Twitter: @tribjazz