After practice Tuesday, the Timberwolves noted two birthdays. One was a celebration, the other more bittersweet
"We just sang happy birthday to Andrew," interim coach Sam Mitchell said, referring to Andrew Wiggins. "And we just sang happy birthday to coach."
Wiggins turned 21 Tuesday; a Toronto native, he was able to celebrate the milestone in his hometown as the Wolves flew to Canada after practice to play the Raptors there Wednesday. Coach, of course, is Flip Saunders, the Wolves president of basketball operations and coach who succumbed to cancer Oct. 25. He would have turned 61 Tuesday.
"Guys talked about what Flip meant to them, and I told the guys that Flip would be proud of 'em," Mitchell said. "The way they're developing, the way they're playing, their professionalism. He'd be proud of our veterans for showing unbelievable leadership, and he would be proud of our young guys for listening and getting better every day."
One of those young players is Zach LaVine.
"He's the one who started all of this," LaVine said. "Almost everybody on this team right now is here because of him. It was a blessing to be around him, and we're going to continue to make him proud."
Kent Youngblood
