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Scotty Robertson, a former Suns assistant coach, passed away last week of lung cancer at age 81 and was laid to rest Sunday in Ruston, La. Robertson was a Suns scout before moving to the bench when Paul Westphal took over for Cotton Fitzsimmons. Of course, those were the days before the Internet and 24/7 news cycles when a reporter could sit courtside with an assistant coach before games and talk basketball rather than having to worry about "blogging" or feeding the monster that is Twitter. Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Coaching, Paul Westphal, Scotty Robertson 

And Scotty always was willing to share insight, a story or a wise crack. We recall specifically how he lamented the downfall of Richard Dumas, whom he called "as talented as anybody who ever laced up sneakers." When a reporter approached, Scotty always was ready with a smile and the greeting, "My man!" The guy knew his stuff, too. Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Coaching, Paul Westphal, Scotty Robertson 

Basketball lost a member of its global family when former Suns assistant coach Scotty Robertson passed away this week. He was 81 years old. Robertson served as a Suns assistant coach from 1989-95, which was preceded by stints as the head coach of the Jazz, Bulls and Pistons. Before coaching in the NBA, Robertson coached in high school and in college, leading Louisiana Tech to three Gulf States Conference Championships during the 1970s. “The overwhelming thing about Scotty was his incredible love for the game,” former Suns Head Coach and current Kings Head Coach Paul Westphal said. “He was extremely innovative and never really received the credit that he deserved, despite his tireless work behind the scenes.” NBA.com

Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz, Coaching, Paul Westphal, Scotty Robertson 

VP of Player Programs Mark West, who played on that Suns team that advanced to the Finals, also remembered Robertson fondly. “Scotty was a bit of a firebrand,” West said. “He was a really nice guy that was very passionate about basketball and winning. He wasn’t just satisfied with just being ok, he wanted it all and he pushed towards that.” NBA.com

Coaching, Scotty Robertson 

Scotty Robertson, a former Louisiana Tech coach and the first coach of the NBA's New Orleans Jazz, has died. Louisiana Tech athletic director Bruce Van De Velde, who confirmed Robertson's death on Thursday, says the longtime college and pro coach will be remembered as "one of the all-time greats at Louisiana Tech." Robertson, who had battled cancer in addition to a stroke last year, was 81. Deseret News

Scotty Robertson 

Larry Lage: Spoke to Isiah Thomas about Scotty Robertson and he said: "(Robertson) was an old-school coach who cared about players. He'll be missed." Twitter

Isiah Thomas, Scotty Robertson 

Former Pistons coach Scotty Robertson died Thursday after a battle with cancer, according to the Shreveport (La.) Times. Robertson spent much of his coaching career in Louisiana — including 12 years in high school, a decade with Louisiana Tech and a brief stint with the NBA's New Orleans Jazz. Detroit News

Detroit Pistons, Coaching, Scotty Robertson