Kevin McHale has been sacked as coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves, ending a 16-season relationship with the club.

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"I just felt it was time to make the decision," president of basketball operations David Kahn said. "Kevin has done some really remarkable things for this franchise.

"He took this team to the Western Conference finals once and made this into a perennial playoff team. We will have a team in transition for the next few years as we build through the draft, trades and free agency."

McHale, a Hall of Fame player who helped the Boston Celtics to three NBA titles, spent 16 seasons with the Timberwolves in various roles.

Under his guidance Minnesota made eight consecutive play-off appearances and advanced to the Western Conference finals in 2004.