Former Warriors owner Fitzgerald remembered as generous, giving

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Jim Fitzgerald, who co-owned the Warriors from 1986 until 1994, passed away in Janesville, WI, on Monday. He was 86. Fitzgerald and Dan Finnane owned the Golden State Warriors beforeChris Cohan and after Franklin Meuliduring the "Run TMC" era.Having begun covering the Warriors in the mid-1990s, I've heard a lot about Fitzgerald and Finnane -- whether it be from (Hall of Famer) Chris Mullin,(legend) Alvin Attles, (former player) Mitch Richmond, (former director ofscouting) Ed Gregory, (strength and conditioning coach) Mark Grabow, (athletic trainer) Tom Abdenour, (former coach) Don Nelson or countless other people who overlapped withFitzgerald and Finnane, they all spoke glowingly of them.Im deeply saddened to learn about the death of JimFitzgerald, who I considered a very dear friend and someone who epitomizedclass. Said Attles. Mr. Fitzgerald was simply a terrific man of incrediblecharacter and high standards who was a model owner for the Warriors and theNBA."He was true; they both were," Mullin said of Fitzgerald and Finnane. "They tell you something and they stick to it. They let the basketball people do their jobs. 'Run TMC' doesn't happen without Jim Fitzgerald and Dan Finnane. It was struggling there for a while, and they were the ones who really turned it around."If theres one story thats made the rounds in the Warriorscommunity about Fitzgerald and Finnane, its the one about their generosityupon exiting the game. After selling the team to Cohan in 1994 for 140 million, Fitzgerald andFinnane gave quite a parting gift to employees . According to several employeesat the time, every employee received a handsome parting gift, some in excessof six figures.One former Warriors employee told me he had been with theWarriors for a few months when Fitzgerald and Finnane sold to Cohan and that hereceived a check in the thousands.Disproportionate, was the way he remembered it.That same employee remembers a palpable buzz and then commotion in the offices as employees opened the envelopes with the checks in them.He always put the needs and concerns of others ahead ofhimself and was one of the most giving and caring individuals I have ever met,Attles said. He enriched the lives of his friends, employees and acquaintancesand for that we are forever grateful. My thoughts and prayers go out to hisentire family during this difficult time.Mullin said he specifically remembered how Fitzgerald and Finnane included Meuli in the Warriors' family -- even after Meuli had sold the team after owning it for 20-plus years. Meuli, who passed in 2010, was often in the front row of Warriors games well into the mid-2000s."I always thought that was cool," Mullin said. "They took care of Franklin. There was great trust there and respect there. It wasn't 'This is now mine.' To me, both Jim (Fitzgerald) and Dan (Finnane) are two great, first-class guys."

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