Ryan Saunders avoids shedding any tears during the "Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel" profile on the Timberwolves coach. But he comes pretty close. That's to be expected since the 11-minute piece, premiering 8 p.m. Tuesday on HBO, is largely about how he's dedicated to living up to the legacy left by his dad, Flip Saunders, who passed away in 2015.
Correspondent Andrea Kremer is not very interested in looking at the team's playoff chances. She's more focused on getting Saunders to talk about his relationship with his father both on and off the sidelines.
No team members are included in the profile. Instead, Kremer sits down with Saunders' wife, Hayley, and mom, Debbie, to look back at how the family dealt with the sudden loss of their beloved family member, and how the son almost quit the sport during the mourning period.
The most touching segment comes when Saunders shares how he plays video on his phone of dad conducting basketball clinics, just so his infant son can hear grandpa's voice.
