TIMBERWOLVES: Saunders Named Head Coach of 2001 USA Basketball Men''s Goodwill Games Team

Saunders Named Head Coach of 2001 USA Basketball Men''s Goodwill Games Team

USA Basketball conference call

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL, March 21, 2001 -- Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Flip Saunders was named today as head coach of USA Basketball's Goodwill Games team scheduled to compete in the 2001 Goodwill Games in Brisbane, Australia, Sept. 3-9, 2001. Saunders will coach a 12-member team comprised of young NBA players who will represent the United States in the Goodwill Games for the first time.

Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders will take the USA team to Australia.
AP Photo

The player selection criteria developed by the Senior National Committee calls for the 2001 USA Goodwill Games Team to be comprised of NBA players who were either drafted in 1999 or 2000, or who are 22-years-old or younger. USA player selections will be made at a later date.

"USA Basketball and the NBA are excited to participate in the Goodwill Games," stated Stu Jackson, NBA Senior Vice President, Basketball Operations and Chair of the USA Basketball Men's Senior National Committee. "This will present a great opportunity for some of our younger NBA players to gain international experience playing for USA Basketball, and we are pleased to have an outstanding coach like Flip Saunders to guide our team."

"USA Basketball is very excited to have Flip as our Goodwill Games head coach. He has done a tremendous job coaching at all levels, and the experience and respect he has garnered during his career will be a great asset to our team this summer." said USA Basketball Executive Director Jim Tooley,"

"I am deeply honored and excited to be named coach for the 2001 Goodwill Games. I look forward to serving as an ambassador for USA Basketball," said Saunders. "Anytime the NBA gets a chance to showcase its talent on a world stage, it is a great opportunity for our league."

"We are looking forward to what should be a terrific eight-team tournament in Brisbane. These teams represent the best available talent and should provide great regional appeal for the competition," said Mike Plant, President of the Goodwill Games, Inc.

The USA is the defending Goodwill champions having won the gold in New York at the 1998 Games with a thrilling 93-85 overtime win over Australia. The USA men have medaled in all four Goodwill Games competitions and in the process compiled an overall win-loss record of 19-6 (.760 winning percentage). The USA captured gold in 1998 and 1986, silver in 1990 and bronze in 1994. All four of those USA Goodwill Teams were comprised of college players.

Saunders, the head coach and general manager for the Timberwolves, began his coaching career at Golden Valley Lutheran College where he compiled a 92-13 record, including a perfect 56-0 mark at home, in four seasons. In 1981, he joined the coaching staff at his alma mater, the University of Minnesota, as an assistant. After five seasons at Minnesota, he moved to an assistant coach position at the University of Tulsa where he worked for two seasons before heading to the professional level.

Seven seasons as a coach in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) brought Saunders two CBA titles (1990 and 1992) and two CBA Coach of the Year honors (1989 and 1992). It was in the CBA where he developed front-office experience while serving as general manager (1991-93) and team president (1991-94) of the La Crosse Catbirds. He ranks third on the CBA all-time charts with 253 victories.

The Timberwolves named Saunders their General Manager on May 11, 1995 and then named him head coach on December 19, 1995. In his first five years with the club, Saunders compiled a 180-178 record, including a team record 50-win season in 1999-2000. This year, Saunders has led the Timberwolves to a 39-28 record as they battle for position in the competitive Western Conference playoff race.

Saunders has also been involved with USA Basketball previously, serving as an assistant coach with the 1993 USA Tournament of the Americas Team. The U.S. team, comprised of Continental Basketball Association (CBA) players, finished 6-1 to capture the Americas championship in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The Goodwill Games basketball competition will be held Sept. 3-9 and televised in the United States on Turner Network Television (TNT). The eight team Goodwill Games basketball field also includes Argentina, host-country Australia, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, New Zealand and Puerto Rico.

The Goodwill Games, to be held August 29 - September 9, 2001, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia will feature 14 sports: athletics, basketball, beach volleyball, boxing, cycling (track), diving, figure skating, gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, swimming, trampoline, triathlon, weightlifting and surf lifesaving. The Goodwill Games were founded by AOL Time Warner Vice Chairman R.E. Turner in 1986 to ensure that the world's best athletes have the opportunity to compete in world class competition. The five previous Goodwill Games have alternated between the United States and Russia; however, future Goodwill Games will be staged in countries around the world in both winter and summer formats. TNT is the host network for the Goodwill Games. Nine Network Australia will broadcast the 2001 Goodwill Games locally. Goodwill Games, Inc. is a division of Turner Sports, the sports programming and production business unit of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.

The USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team Committee which selected Saunders, consists of nine members and a non-voting chair. Stu Jackson, NBA Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations, serves as chair of the Committee. Seven of the Committee's nine voting members were appointed by the NBA and include Bryan Colangelo, President and General Manager of the Phoenix Suns; Billy King, General Manager of the Philadelphia 76ers; Mitch Kupchak, General Manager of the Los Angeles Lakers; C.M. Newton, former athletic director at the University of Kentucky; Kevin O'Connor, Vice President of Basketball Operations of the Utah Jazz; Garry St. Jean, General Manager of the Golden State Warriors; Rod Thorn, President of the New Jersey Nets; and athlete representatives Joe Dumars, a member of the gold medalist 1994 USA World Championship Team, and Steve Smith, a member of the gold medalist 1994 World Championship and 2000 Olympic teams.