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Kurt Rambis: My condolences go out to the friends and family of Artie Williams. Artie was genuinely one of the best people in this business. Twitter

Kurt Rambis 

Kurt Rambis: Congrats to #Lakers Pau Gasol & Spain on winning Silver. Great to know that Basketball is loved by sports fans worldwide #Olympics @Pau Gasol Twitter

Pau Gasol, Spain, Olympics, Kurt Rambis 

Rambis travels to ESPN's Bristol, Conn., headquarters every two weeks or so, where he watches highlights and critiques games from the comfort of a warm room. He says it's been fulfilling to see the Timberwolves' improvement ("I like to think I helped some of the guys," he says), and fascinating to watch Jeremy Lin's odd journey. "The great part of my job is that I'm invested without being invested," he says. "I go home at night and I'm not emotionally drained." And yet ... Rambis says, "I miss being emotionally drained." SI.com

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, Media, Kurt Rambis 

Though he is in the familiar position of fired coach-turned-TV guy, little about Rambis feels, well, familiar. In person, he is honest and true, an excellent listener who refuses -- even off the record -- to slam the Minnesota Timberwolves (and, particularly, David Kahn, their dreadful president of basketball operations), the team that fired him last July. SI.com

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, Media, Kurt Rambis 

Love says he's happy in Minnesota and would like to stay, but the mandate for the front office after last season was obvious -- improve this train wreck of a team. So Kahn fired Kurt Rambis and replaced him with Adelman, who brings 945 career victories to the locker room. That was a good start. How fast Rubio and Williams become regular contributors to the rotation will surely play a big part in Love's thinking, too. But for now ... "I will put on a few lbs and redistribute as muscle now," Love said in his text. "I feel great. Now just need to get (my) cardio up before camp." NBA.com

Minnesota Timberwolves, Kurt Rambis 

Janis Carr: Kurt Rambis said the prospects of an NBA season 'isn't looking too well.' He has signed up with ESPN -- if and when season starts Twitter

Media, Lockout, Kurt Rambis 

That skepticism appears to be based on the failure of coaches other than Jackson to implement his offense of intricate team play. Jackson's assistants -- Jim Cleamons (with the Mavericks from 1996-98) and Kurt Rambis (with the Timberwolves from 2009-11) -- tried and failed to install it elsewhere. "I interviewed Brian four years ago and we talked about that," Bird said. "He said, 'I like the triangle, it's great, but you've got to have the right players to run it. I would use part of it, but it's according to the talent that we have. You've got to have the right guys.' " SI.com

Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson, Coaching, Brian Shaw, Jim Cleamons, Kurt Rambis, Indiana 

What are your feelings about the Kurt Rambis firing? Kevin Love: It is a business and I had a good relationship with Kurt. I wish him well in his future endeavors. He’s been around a plethora of winning. He was with the showtime Lakers with the funky goggles and shaggy hair all the way to being an assistant with the Lakers as well. He will get a job. He’s articulate and I learned a lot from him. I wish him the best. Business always comes first and that’s what the front office decided to do. SLAM

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, Kevin Love, Kurt Rambis 

He brought elements of mentor Phil Jackson’s mysterious triangle offense with him from Los Angeles. It turned out to be a mismatch of system and philosophy with a young team that never seemed to fully grasp or believe in it. “I never really thought the offense was a problem, the defensive side was,” Tolliver said. “We scored enough points to win games. We struggled with the ability to get easy buckets in crunch time, but our main problem was the defensive end. Whoever they bring in next, it’s really important that they be a defensive coach.” Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, Anthony Tolliver, Kurt Rambis 

But this is a roster built for offense, isn’t it? “We do have a lot of firepower,” Tolliver said. “But at the end of the day, in order to win you have to play defense. No one ever won by just scoring…I think we did spend enough time on it. Kurt definitely taught it and we did it in practice, but with different coaches’ styles and different coaching personalities, sometimes certain people respond in different ways to different people. “I don’t think his message ever got across to some of the people. To some of us, it did. Some guys bought in and some guys didn’t.” Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, Anthony Tolliver, Kurt Rambis 

Asked what kind of coach the team needs to hire next, Tolliver said, “Someone who’s going to be a disciplinarian. Kurt’s a really nice guy. Sometimes that got in the way. I’m not saying he’s too nice, but sometimes it’s good to have a coach no likes to be a jerk. “I know several players on the Bulls and nobody really liked Tom Thibodeau, but that’s O.K. You don’t have to like the coach. You just have to be able to play for him.” Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, Anthony Tolliver, Kurt Rambis 

Kevin Love joined ESPN Radio with Scott Van Pelt and Kevin Negandhi to talk about Kurt Rambis getting fired, whether or not he saw this move coming, what kind of coach Minnesota needs moving forward, what he expects from Ricky Rubio, and if he would consider playing overseas. On Kurt Rambis getting fired: “Definitely wish the best for Kurt. He was a player’s coach, guys loved playing for him, and only wish him the best from here on out in his endeavors.” Whether or not he knew this move was coming: “I wouldn’t say I necessarily knew. I think most of the guys on the team looked at it as his status in limbo. Didn’t actually know what was going to happen. I think either way it was good to have a decision made by our front office. We’ll be looking for a new coach, but like I said I wish the bets for Kurt because he’s a great guy, a great coach to be around, and has that winning mentality. He will be picked up somewhere else.” Sports Radio Interviews

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, Ricky Rubio, Kevin Love, Kurt Rambis 

The Timberwolves are changing coaches for the sixth time since 2005, hoping to land someone who can give them the style of play - and success - Kurt Rambis could not. After officially firing Rambis on Tuesday following two disastrous seasons, Wolves President David Kahn said Minnesota's next bench boss would be charged with molding the league's youngest roster into an aggressive team that dictates the play to opponents. "I think we'll have a thorough search, and I think we'll find somebody who really embraces the notion of wanting to play an up-tempo style on both sides of the floor - both sides - and somebody who really connects well with young players," he said at a news conference Tuesday. St. Paul Pioneer Press

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, David Kahn, Kurt Rambis 

Kevin Love blossomed into an NBA all-star, and Michael Beasley showed flashes of the potential that made him the No. 2 overall pick in the 2008 draft. But the Wolves seemed to regress at the end of the season, losing their final 15 games. The club's 101-points-per-game average made it a top-10 offense, but no team turned over the ball more (17 times per game) than the Wolves, who also were the NBA's worst defensive team. "I think last year it was confusing to me at times that we probably weren't pushing the open-court style as much as I think we had first envisioned when I spoke to (Rambis) two years ago," Kahn said. "My relationship to the coach is not nearly as important as the players' relationship with the coach. And I think that needs to be a focal point going forward. I'm much more concerned for these young players that they have somebody that they can connect with." St. Paul Pioneer Press

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, David Kahn, Kurt Rambis 

So who will it be? Rick Adelman? (Actually that would make some of this bungling worthwhile.) Bernie Bickerstaff? J.B. Bickerstaff? Old Wolves Terry Porter or Sam Mitchell? Whoever Detroit doesn't hire? A college guy? "I wish this were an exact science," Kahn told reporters. "I think we will cast a wider net than a narrow net. ... I think it's important that we find somebody whose DNA is up-tempo." That rules out Mike Fratello, anyway. Kahn shot down the suggestion that the Wolves' organizational dysfunction would scare off viable candidates, mentioning "seven or eight calls today" from coaches interested in the job. There are, after all, just 30 of those jobs, compared to the hundreds of coaches who could gussy up their resumes and bank accounts by landing this one. Not that they would be the best choice to actually improve the team. NBA.com

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, David Kahn, Kurt Rambis 

As for Rambis, Love called the firing of the second-year head coach a "tough situation" while also supporting Rambis by saying he expects the former Laker assistant to have another job soon with all his experience. Love also made reference to how the front office approached the situation, a process Ken Berger of CBSSports.com called "embarassing" which was echoed by most who cover or operate in the league's coaching circles. "(Rambis) was put in limbo for a while by our front office. They took their time and weighted all their options. Kurt's going to find another opportunity. He's going to get another job soon." CBSSports.com

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, David Kahn, Kevin Love, Kurt Rambis 

Reggie Theus will likely be on the move once again. The Minnesota Timberwolves announced on Tuesday that head coach Kurt Rambis was fired after a 17-65 season meaning that Theus - the former head coach at New Mexico State and current Timberwolves assistant coach - will likely leave Minnesota as well. Theus has one year remaining on his contract with the Timberwolves. "They have not, at this point, let the staff go," Theus said. "As far as we know at the moment, we're status quo." Las Cruces Sun-News

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, Kurt Rambis, Reggie Theus 

The Minnesota Timberwolves fired Kurt Rambis on Tuesday, ending more than three months of uncertainty and awkwardness surrounding the head coach of the worst team in the NBA last season. Rambis was 32-132 in his brief stay in Minnesota, including 17-65 this past season. "I want to thank Kurt for his contributions to our franchise and wish him the best in his future endeavors," Wolves president of basketball operations David Kahn said in a statement issued by the team. "His arrival signaled we were serious about building a championship-contending ballclub over the course of time. We have accumulated a solid nucleus of young talent with a bright future during the last two years. I am hopeful Kurt receives his share of the credit for helping develop that talent and his contributions are not forgotten as we become a better basketball team." Houston Chronicle

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, Kurt Rambis 

"I'm grateful for the opportunity that Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor has given me," Rambis said in a statement given to The Associated Press. "During my years working with coaches Jackson, (Pat) Riley and (Cotton) Fitzsimmons, I learned all about the ups and downs of this sport. And today is one of the down days. "But I'm confident that my work — and the work of my staff — with our many young players over the last two years will begin to pay off for Mr. Taylor and Timberwolves fans. Now, as important new players are added to the mix, the future of this franchise should be a bright one, and I am thankful for the chance I had, to play a part in shaping that future." Houston Chronicle

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, Kurt Rambis 

Jerry Zgoda: A. Tolliver on Rambis: "One day it’s all over the news that he’s fired, the next day it’s not. How can you keep somebody on after all that?" Twitter

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, Kurt Rambis