NBA-Thunder assistant Williams not returning this season

March 11 (Reuters) - Oklahoma City Thunder assistant coach Monty Williams, whose wife died in a car accident last month, will not return to the team this season, the team said on Friday. "The most important thing for Monty during this time is for him to be with his family, and the most important thing for us as an organization is to support him as a person, in any way that we can," Thunder General Manager Sam Presti said in a statement. "Even though Monty will not return to the team this season, his presence will be felt by all of us within the program and we will remain close with him and his family." The Thunder have endured plenty of tragedy this season. Part-owner Aubrey McClendon died last week in a car accident in Oklahoma City, and Thunder guard Dion Waiters' younger brother was shot and killed in Philadelphia on Tuesday. Waiters left the team to be with his family and has missed the last two games. (Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Rutherford; )