The death of former Phoenix Suns coaching extraordinaire "Cotton" Fitzsimmons should come as sad news not only to basketball fans in the Valley, but for basketball fans in the country.
Fitzsimmons was always able to command two things that many coaches in any sport today cannot get at the same time -- highly positive results as well as respect and admiration from his players. The multiple 50-win seasons he squeezed from teams with good, but not great, talent and the many former NBA All-Stars that visited him during his final hours last week can attest to this.
As a person, it seemed Fitzsimmons would always say what was on his mind during interviews -- he was not rude, but he told it like it was. And as a coach, he instilled core fundamentals in his players that we don't see much of today. The Suns of the late '80s and early '90s were, if nothing else, a pleasure to watch, and their coach was a pleasure to hear talk -- raspy voice and all -- after the game. He will be missed.
