On October 25, 2015, Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Flip Saunders passed away after about a year-long battle with Hodgkins Lymphoma. This came as an utter surprise as a week before, news outlets reported that he was about done with treatment. His death came three days before the beginning of the NBA season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers. Both teams wore warm ups to honor Flip. The Timberwolves’ warm-ups just simply had the lettes WE to symbolize how they will play together, something that Saunders preached. The Lakers wore warm-ups with FLIP across the front. The Timberwolves ended up winning 112-111. Saunders was loved throughout the league.  Coaches and players alike had nothing but praise and respect for him. Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg said of him, “Flip played a huge part in my life. Everything from bringing me in and giving me a chance, to taking a lot of the philosophy that he had. He was a great mentor, a great leader … a special, special person.” Kevin Garnett, a 20-year NBA veteran and current Timberwolves power forward, was coached by Saunders until Saunders’ exit from Minnesota in 2005. Garnett was traded away to the Celtics in 2007. When Saunders became the team president and head coach of the team again, he wanted to bring back Garnett to finish his career off as a member of the Timberwolves. To honor his former coach and mentor, Garnett posted a picture of himself sitting alone in Flip’s empty parking spot at the Target Center.