MIAMI -- Jack Ramsay served his country in World War II, coached Portland to the NBA title, was enshrined in the basketball Hall of Fame and became one of the games most respected and revered broadcasters. Authentic NHL Jerseys . His life was, by any measure, complete. "Our father led the greatest life that one could lead," the Ramsay family said in a statement released Monday, hours after the man that just about everyone in basketball called "Dr. Jack" died in Naples, Fla., at the age of 89. No cause of death was announced, but Ramsay had fought several forms of cancer for many years and more recently was diagnosed with a marrow syndrome. Ramsay ended his broadcasting career with ESPN last year because of health problems and word came last week that he had been placed into hospice care. "From his coaching tenure to his broadcast work, Dr. Jack left an indelible mark on every facet of our game and on every person he came in contact with, including me," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. Added Miami Heat president Pat Riley, who was close to Ramsay for many years: "This is a very sad day for basketball, not just professional basketball, but the entire basketball world. The game has lost a giant." Ramsay coached in the NBA for parts of 21 seasons before embarking on a second career as an NBA analyst, eventually working for ESPN. He was diagnosed with melanoma in 2004 and later battled growths and tumors that spread to his legs, lungs and brain, as well as prostate cancer. Through it all, his affinity for fitness never wavered. Ramsay, who competed in at least 20 triathlons during his life, worked out regularly into his 80s, even as he battled the various forms of cancer. He often spoke of his love of swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. Even in his final year as a broadcaster, it wasnt uncommon for friends to marvel at how well he was moving about. "Jack was a great man," Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird said, "and I dont use that term lightly." Ramsay also spent several years late in his life caring for his wife, Jean, who was diagnosed in 2001 with Alzheimers disease. She died in 2010. "He was that rarest of men with a unique style that was inspirational and motivational about basketball and life itself," said Paul Allen, who owns the Trail Blazers. Ramsay enjoyed enormous popularity within the league. To commemorate his 89th birthday this year, Portland coach Terry Stotts wore a loud checkered jacket and open-collared shirt for a Blazers game -- a nod to Ramsays style of dress when he coached the club. "Jacks life is a beacon which guides us all," Bill Walton, who was on Ramsays 1977 title team in Portland, told USA Today in 2007. "He is our moral compass, our spiritual inspiration. He represents the conquest of substance over hype. He is a true saint of circumstance." John T. Ramsay was born Feb. 21, 1925, in Philadelphia and enrolled at Saint Josephs in 1942, eventually becoming captain of the basketball team for his senior season. He earned a doctorate in education from the University of Pennsylvania in 1949, which explains the "Dr. Jack" moniker. Ramsays began coaching Saint Josephs in 1955. He was wildly successful there, going 234-72 and taking the Hawks to the NCAA tournament seven times and the Final Four in 1961. "Great man," Orlando Magic guard Jameer Nelson, who played at Saint Josephs a generation after Ramsay departed, wrote on Twitter. "The Greatest Hawk ever." To Ramsay, the most significant part of the Saint Josephs years was this: "I met my wife there," he said. He was a founding father of sorts for the growth of the Big 5, the annual Philadelphia basketball series involving Saint Josephs, La Salle, Penn, Villanova and Temple. "The Big 5 was clearly the biggest thing any of those schools were involved in at that point," Ramsay said in a 2004 interview. Ramsay became coach of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1968, joined the Buffalo Braves in 1972 and brought his craft to Portland in 1976. With a team featuring Walton, Lionel Hollins and Maurice Lucas, he delivered an NBA championship in his first season, beating the 76ers in six games for the title. "It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and one that I will cherish forever," Ramsay said in 1997. Indeed, that was his lone NBA title. Walton got hurt the next year, crippling Portlands chances of getting back to championship form during that era. Ramsay coached the Blazers for nine more seasons without another trip to the Finals. He spent the final three years of his NBA coaching career in Indiana, resigning from the Pacers in 1988 after the team started 0-7. Ramsay was 864-783 in his NBA career and in 1996 was honoured as one of the leagues all-time top 10 coaches. And when Micky Arison bought the Heat, the first person he turned to was Ramsay, who wound up long being considered part of the franchises family and even accompanied them to the White House to celebrate winning an NBA title. "He will be sorely missed by us all," Arison said. When he left the Pacers, Ramsay carefully did not use the word "retire," and began working as a television analyst on 76ers games. Eventually, he worked on Heat television broadcasts for eight seasons before moving full time to ESPN for radio and TV commentating before the 2000-01 season. "So grateful that his path crossed ours," his former Heat broadcast partner Eric Reid wrote on Twitter early Monday. "Hall of Fame coach and man." Ramsays funeral is Thursday. Wholesale NHL Jerseys . The game got off to a less-than-ideal start for the Jets as Oliver Ekman-Larsson found a wide open net from the slot and opened the scoring for the Coyotes a lead in the first period, but Olli Jokinen answered back just over half a minute later. NHL Jerseys .C. -- Cam Newton wasnt flawless on Sunday. https://www.cheapnhljerseysjustwholesale.com/ . The post-season, Pierce said repeatedly, is no time to panic. And the Heat, apparently, are nothing to fear.LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers said he declined a chance to speak with owner Donald Sterling, who is alleged to have made racist comments in a recorded conversation. "I was asked, do I need to talk with Donald, and I passed, quite honestly," Rivers said Monday. "I dont think right now is the time or the place, for me, at least. I just took a pass." Sterling is purported to have told a woman not to bring black people to his games or associate with them. "Yeah, I believe he said those things. But I still want to make sure," Rivers said during a conference call. "As far as believing those things? I heard what he said. Until someone tells me differently, you usually listen to what people say. I havent given him his due process. I havent given him an opportunity to explain himself and quite honestly right now I dont want him to. I want to wait for that further judgment." The coach cancelled practice Monday, a day after a 118-97 loss to the Golden State Warriors that evened their playoff series at 2-2. "I just felt like they needed to breathe. Theyve been inundated with this," Rivers said. Still, he said pretty much the entire team was at the clubs practice facility. "Ill go down and say hi to them and talk to them, make sure theyre in the right place. Right now its more than basketball. This is a non-basketball decision that I thought I had to make and I thought it was right decision. If you get your life better, then you can probably do your work better. They need to do that." Game 5 is Tuesday night in Los Angeles. "These last 48 hours or so have been really hard for our players and everyone," Rivers said. "Id just like to reiterate how disappointed I am in the comments attributed to our owner. I cant tell you how upset I am, our players are." Warriors coach Mark Jackson suggested that Clippers fans should boycott the game. "I believe iif it was me, I wouldnt come to the game," Jackson said. Cheap NHL Jerseys. "I believe the fans, the loudest statement that they can make as fans is to not show up to the game. ... To me, it will make the noise of it not being tolerated. That this is a different time. Its unfortunate, and we cannot allow someone with these feelings to profit." Rivers said he knew Jackson was speaking from his heart and that everyone has their opinion. "I dont share that. I hope its packed and people are cheering for us, the players. And they were cheering for the players before this happened. But if they feel differently, who can say theyre wrong? And Im not the one thats going to say that, I can tell you that." Rivers said its still to be determined whether he or a player will address the crowd. "Again, we dont know the right answer," Rivers said. "We want to do right here. We want to make the best decisions here. If we feel thats something will help our fans, then it will be done. If we feel its something they dont need, we wont do it. The tickets have already been sold. The fans, theyre in a dilemma as well. We want them to cheer for their players and their team. Because its still their players and their team, and it will be their players and their team. I think from what I get from the fans Ive heard from, thats how they feel, like, This is my team, these are my players Im cheering for, and thats not going to change. I hope that continues." Rivers said the controversy has been tough on his players. "What other players are going through Should I be playing thoughts in the middle of a playoff series? I sympathize for my players. They didnt sign on for this. Yet here they are and theyre in the middle of it and they have to deal with it. They didnt do anything wrong and theyre in the middle of it, and they didnt ask to be. I feel terrible for them. Im going to try to do whatever I can to make them OK." ' ' '