(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Before becoming the leader on the Phoenix Suns’ sideline and winning the NBA Coach of the Year last season, Monty Williams bounced around the league for some time as an assistant for some teams and a head coach for others.
One of Williams’ coaching stints during his career was with the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he was an assistant under then-head coach Billy Donovan.
It was an incredibly tough time for Williams, who lost his wife in a car accident in February 2016.
Despite Williams stepping away from basketball following the accident and eventually joining the Philadelphia 76ers coaching staff in 2018, the Thunder have always shown respect to the current head coach of the Suns, as they did today.
Monty Williams thanked the #Thunder organization for honoring his late wife today by not having anyone sit in seat she sat in when he was an Oklahoma City assistant in 2015-16 season.
Today would’ve been her birthday. Ingrid Williams died in a car accident Feb. 10, 2016. #Suns pic.twitter.com/Z6f0cmaWYU
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) April 2, 2023
This was a classy move, to say the least, by the Thunder organization, which by all accounts has always been top-notch in dealing with players and coaches even when they leave the franchise.
The Thunder have gone through a lot of changes over the years, with superstars like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook moving on for one reason or another, but the organization continues to be highly regarded, with a general manager in Sam Presti considered to be one of the best in the business.
The Suns and Thunder are two franchises heading in different directions, with Phoenix in a championship window and Oklahoma City rebuilding, but it’s pretty cool to see acts of kindness like this in a business that can be ruthless and unforgiving.
Acts like this do not go unnoticed and deserve to be recognized.
The post Suns Coach Praises Thunder Organization For Honoring His Wife appeared first on The Cold Wire.