MINNEAPOLIS -- The longer the Kurt Rambis saga dragged on, the bigger the mess got for president of basketball operations David Kahn and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The organization endured a torrent of criticism nationally for allowing Rambis to twist in the wind, tarnishing the team's image across the league while many accomplished candidates took other jobs as Kahn mulled the decision.

The long expected firing finally was officially announced Tuesday, ending more than three months of uncertainty and awkwardness surrounding the head coach of the worst team in the NBA last season.

"People can argue about this should have happened and that should've happened, but I think collectively we felt that we were doing the right thing in terms of the way we approached it," Kahn said. "But I also recognize it took a long time. That's on me. And I realize that it can look more convoluted and complicated than maybe it really is, and that's on me. And to that extent I feel badly about that, too, and I apologize for that."

Kahn hired Rambis in 2009 to turn around one of the league's struggling franchises. But Rambis went 32-132 in his two seasons, including a league-worst 17-65 in his second year on the job.

The unusual sequence of events began at season's end, with Kahn holding his own press conference hours before the season finale on April 13 to say that he would take his time to make a decision on Rambis' future. The eventful summer also included Kahn asking Rambis to write a report on what he would change if he returned for a third season and offering a position in the front office if Rambis would step down as coach.

Through it all, eyebrows were raised across the league, never more than in May when dozens of league executives came to Target Center to watch a group of draft prospects workout. Rambis showed up unannounced, even though he did not know if he would be back in 2011-12.

Rambis wasn't fired until seven weeks later, long after being told he was not welcome at an introductory news conference for point guard Ricky Rubio or the draft on June 23.

It was somewhat similar to when Kahn was first hired in 2009 and let then-coach Kevin McHale dangle for weeks before ultimately deciding not to retain him.

"I wish it was easier to do," Kahn said of finding the right coach, mentioning that 19 have been fired since Rambis took the job in 2009. "I feel certainly the weight of having to do this. I don't want to say this at Kurt's expense, but obviously we need to do it better than the last one."