MINNEAPOLIS — There was music. There was singing. There were laughs and tears. The Minnesota Timberwolves' home opener dedicated to honoring Flip Saunders brought out a full spectrum of emotion Monday night at Target Center.
Prior to the Wolves taking the court against the Portland Trail Blazers, all eyes were fixed above the floor as a video tribute for Saunders showed everyone in attendance just how special the late Wolves coach and president of basketball operations was to so many people.
From local and national media members to coaches like Phil Jackson, Tom Izzo and Greg Popovich and Saunders' former players like Chauncey Billups, Kevin Love and Sam Cassel, all described a man they loved and what he meant to them before Saunders died after a battle with Hodgkin's lymphoma.
"You never changed," Izzo said.
"He'll be missed as coach because of the community aspect he carried," Jackson said.
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"He was what I called a lifer," Popovich said. "Loved the game and respected the game like nobody's business."
Some of the most heartfelt sentiments came from Wolves general manager Milt Newton, who told a story about Saunders letting him know "I love you, man."
"I just want to tell you, I love you, too," Newton said as he began to cry. "Rest in peace."
One obvious omission in the tribute was Wolves great Kevin Garnett, who definitely looked shaken up before the game. Not surprising, since KG and Saunders helped lead the Wolves to eight straight playoff appearances, including a Western Conference finals trip in 2003-04.
Garnett, whom Saunders brought back to Minnesota from the Brooklyn Nets last season, spoke before Monday's game for first time since Saunders' death on Oct. 25.
"I think we're all carrying each other right now, holding each other up," he said after morning shootaround. "It's a tough week for all of us, but we're managing."
'Good to have an outlet'
It was part of Saunders' vision to mix a solid group of veterans like Garnett, Tayshaun Prince and Andre Miller with talented young players like Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine.
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Garnett made his presence felt during Minnesota's 2-0 start more with his voice and attitude than his production.
"I'm pretty much in every huddle right now trying to lead these guys and give them advice," he said. "(Playing is) a good outlet, especially when you're going through things. It's good to have an outlet to take your mind off reality a little bit."
Towns, who was Saunders' choice as the No. 1 pick in the draft, addressed the crowd before Monday's game, thanking the fans for showing their support in the home opener. The last time he did that was at a scrimmage in July when 15,000 fans flocked to Target Center, and Saunders also gave a speech.
"The future is bright and clear and it's sunny right now," Saunders said then and many times after that about the team he assembled.
Win or lose on such a tough night, though, the Wolves, who unveiled their "Flip" patches on their jerseys, just hoped to get through a night of remembrance and move forward this season.
"Just trying to keep going, always having coach Saunders on my mind," Towns said before the game. "It's crazy. It's been a long week. There's been a lot of emotions. I'm just tired. I just want to go out here and play basketball."
