Latest news with #LarryBrown
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Larry Brown reveals Michael Jordan stood firmly against bringing Allen Iverson to Charlotte: "That's gonna prohibit our progress"
The Charlotte Hornets during the 2000s had their fair share of ups and downs. They faced ownership changes, relocations and roster shake-ups. But one of the most intriguing what-if moments in franchise history came when Michael Jordan, the team's principal owner, shut down a potential move for former All-Star guard Allen Iverson. Jordan's decision By the late 2000s, the Hornets (then known as the Charlotte Bobcats) were clawing their way back into relevance. Under head coach Larry Brown, the team had made its first playoff appearance in 2010, but the squad was still searching for a star to carry them into long-term contention. That was when the idea of Iverson came into play. Advertisement "I wanted to bring him to Charlotte," said Brown, whose history with Iverson had long been under the microscope. "And Michael admired Allen and Allen loved Michael. But Michael said, 'Larry, if we bring him back, you're gonna play him ahead of some of these young kids and that's gonna prohibit our progress.' And he was right." A.I. was nearing the twilight of his career. After brief stints with the Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies, the 2001 NBA MVP was looking for one last shot at proving he could still contribute at a high level. Having guided the Iverson-led Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA Finals in 2001, Brown recognized a chance. Despite their difficult history with the Sixers, the two have always respected one another. Iverson's former coach felt the star guard could still make a difference for Charlotte. But there was a significant obstacle: Jordan had the last word. Advertisement The former MVP had frequently expressed how much he admired the six-time champion, referring to him as the best player of all time and someone he took his cues from growing up. However, adoration alone was insufficient to close a deal. Michael wasn't sure that adding Allen, even in a smaller capacity, was the best course of action for the franchise's future. Related: Coach who recruited Manute Bol admits he made up his birthday: "He was probably 40, 50 years old when he was playing in the NBA" Iverson's end At the time of the Hornets' discussions, Iverson's career had already taken an unpredictable turn. After parting ways with the Pistons in 2009, he signed with the Grizzlies. Advertisement However, his stint in Memphis lasted just three games before he and the team agreed to part ways. That led to a return to Philadelphia, where A.I. played 25 games in the 2009-10 season. Still, the writing was on the wall. Iverson's scoring ability and competitive fire had never been in question, but his ball-dominant style didn't fit into every system. Charlotte needed young players like Gerald Henderson and D.J. Augustin to develop, and Jordan wasn't willing to risk their progress for a short-term gamble. The Hornets moved forward without Iverson, finishing the 2010-11 season with a 34-48 record. Brown parted ways with the team mid-season, and the franchise entered another rebuilding phase. Advertisement Meanwhile, A.I. never played another game in the NBA. After his brief Philadelphia return, he took a hiatus and later announced his retirement in 2013. "I'm just sick that Allen couldn't have gone out the right way where people could show their appreciation for him, 'cause everywhere we played, when Allen played, the arenas were full. And even though they were supportive of their home team, they were admiring everything Allen did," Brown concluded. Related: Kyle Korver said Sixers players were desperate for Allen Iverson to leave the team in 2006: "We want it to be over… just want to move on"
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
"Once I gave the Celtics my list of coaches, I was frozen out" - Larry Bird admits frustration over not getting the coach he wanted in Boston
In the summer of 1997, the Boston Celtics found themselves at another crucial juncture. The franchise was still drifting in the post-Larry Bird era, buried in the rubble of the M.L. Carr years and desperate for a figure who could command respect and orchestrate a rebuild. Team owner Paul Gaston approached Bird, who had long retired as a player but remained a living symbol of Celtics pride, and informed him that the team was ready to move on from Carr as head coach. The legendary forward was asked to compile a list of candidates he believed could restore the C's to relevance. Bird frozen out Among the names Bird believed in, one stood above the rest: Larry Brown. Advertisement At that point, Brown was wrapping up a tenure with the Indiana Pacers, a team he had built into an Eastern Conference contender. He had a reputation for discipline, defensive fundamentals and a knack for getting the most out of role players — exactly the traits Boston needed after years of sliding into irrelevance. "If Larry Brown ended up as the Celtics coach, there was no doubt in my mind he'd get them back on track," Bird said. "He seemed as if he was the front-runner, but I was guessing. Once I gave the Celtics my list of coaches, I was frozen out. The Celtics weren't telling me anything." It wasn't just a gut feeling. Brown had transformed teams before — he'd taken the Los Angeles Clippers to the playoffs, won with the San Antonio Spurs and made the Pacers respectable. Bird had seen the results firsthand. With the Celtics mired in mediocrity, Brown's disciplined style and proven résumé made him a rare, qualified lifeline. Larry agreed to interview with Boston. Afterward, he called Larry, sounding upbeat. Before long, "Larry Legend" stopped hearing from anyone inside the Celtics organization. There was no follow-up from Gaston, no update from the front office. Brown, puzzled and still hopeful, called again — but Bird had no answers. There was a growing sense that the process had gone dark. Suddenly, Pitino was back in the conversation. Advertisement Related: "They think he was a chubby White guy" - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar thinks people don't appreciate Larry Bird enough Poor decisions Bird, once central to the planning of the new head coach, had been cast to the sidelines. One minute, everything was in place and the next it came crashing down. "Brown interviewed with the Celtics and called me afterward. He sounded excited," Bird recalled. "He told me, 'I think I've got the job.' He said Gaston told him he needed just a couple of more days and he'd get back to him with the details. I congratulated him and wished him luck. Next thing you know — boom, Larry Brown is not the next coach of the Celtics." Advertisement Brown never received an official explanation. The same man who'd believed he had the job was now left in the lurch. Not long after, the Philadelphia 76ers — equally desperate for a culture shift — swooped in and hired him. That summer, Bird was left with a bitter taste. The Celtics had slipped further away from what he believed they could become, and he carried guilt about how things had ended for Brown. The Celtics, meanwhile, turned to Pitino, who finally agreed to take over in a high-profile deal that made him both president and head coach. It was a power move on Gaston's part, but it came at the expense of stability. Rick's tenure in Boston would last just three and a half seasons and include only one playoff appearance. By the time he left in 2001, the Celtics were no better off than when they started — if anything, they were in a deeper hole — with a 102–146 record under his watch. Bird, on the other hand, moved on to coach the Pacers and, in a twist of fate, led them to an NBA Finals appearance in 2000. Advertisement His vision for building a contender had not been misguided. It had just been ignored in Boston. Related: "The truth was, I had very little input" - Bird says the Celtics denied him superstar power within the organization
Axios
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Axios
Old News: From Larry Brown to Larry Bird
On this day 28 years ago, Larry Brown left his job as the Indiana Pacers head coach with two years left on his contract. Why it matters: Brown deciding it was time to move on allowed Larry Bird to move in for a short but sweet coaching run that went as far as the NBA Finals. Driving the (old) news: By the end of April 1997, Brown was the Pacers' winningest coach in history with a 190-138 record after four seasons. He also led a franchise that had never won a playoff series before to the Eastern Conference finals twice. Yes, but: His last season was one marred by frustration with a team he felt he could no longer lead. The Pacers finished 39-43 that year and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1989. "I'm leaving because I think it's time to move on," Brown said in an May 1, 1997 L.A. Times story. "This year was really disappointing. I didn't accomplish what I was hired to do." Between the lines: In that same story, Pacers president Donnie Walsh said he had preliminary discussions with Bird about the coaching job.
