duncan228
03-09-2009, 11:54 PM
Brown working his usual magic with Bobcats (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Brown_working_his_usual_magic_with_Bobcats.html)
Mike Monroe
The man wore a light yellow blazer and a salesman's wide smile, and he apologized for interrupting the conversation Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown had begun in the lobby of a Riverwalk hotel early Monday evening.
“I'm sorry,” the man gushed, “but I've just got to shake Coach Brown's hand. I'm 69 years old — I know I don't look it — and I watched you play at Carolina.”
The man didn't lie about his relatively youthful appearance, and Brown didn't lie about his age, either.
“I'm 69, too,” he said as he stood up from a high-backed sofa and extended his hand, and the two shared some Carolina blue memories and congratulated one another on the Tar Heels' victory over Duke on Sunday afternoon. It was a game Brown attended, seated next to Dean Smith and Michael Jordan.
The well-wisher was polite and more considerate than most. He didn't linger to the point of discomfort.
“We're all proud of what you're doing with the Bobcats,” he said as he headed for the elevators, and Brown offered a quick nod of gratitude.
If Carolina is proud of Brown, well, that's almost enough.
Basketball is a way of life in the Piedmont, and Brown's coaching odyssey finally has brought him back to where his career began, as a 32-year-old in charge of the ABA's Carolina Cougars.
There have been nine intermediate stops along the way, and except for two years that preceded his decision to return to the bench, Brown has been a coach since 1972.
He is one of basketball's great turnaround artists, so it is no surprise that a Bobcats team that was 32-50 in 2007-08 has come to San Antonio to play the Spurs with a six-game winning streak and reason to believe it can make the Eastern Conference playoffs.
“The playoff race I don't even focus on,” Brown said. “I always think if you get better and do the right things, the results are pretty positive.
“I've been with so many teams that have been bad, and then gotten better, but this team, well, Coach Smith told me the team that came out of training camp, he said he didn't know if it could contend in the ACC.”
“Play the right way” has been Brown's mantra from the moment he heard Smith tell him it was what he demanded of every North Carolina Tar Heel.
The Bobcats are getting closer to the goal because they are paying attention to a Basketball Hall of Famer and because they have added players capable of doing it.
Trading Jason Richardson to Phoenix for Raja Bell and Boris Diaw gave Brown a pair of players who prefer to play the right way, with the skills to do it.
Later, the 'Cats picked up veteran free agent big man Juwan Howard and made deals for center DeSagana Diop and forward Vlade Radmanovic.
No player Charlotte traded, save Richardson, is in his new team's regular playing rotation.
“In Jason Richardson we gave up a terrific player,” Brown said, “but we got two starters for one, and these guys have been great.
“Then, we got Juwan Howard to go with Nazr (Mohammed). When you have only one older player, and he's not playing, a lot of times (the younger ones) don't listen to what he says, even though he was so valuable.
“But now we've got Nazr, Juwan and Raja, and they look at those three guys as mentors.”
Mentoring is a plus, but Bell and Diaw can play, too, and both are unselfish.
Brown always will take a player who wants to pass more than he likes to score.
“If we had this team from day one, with the schedule we had early, we'd have been pretty good,” Brown said. “The problem we have now is a really bad schedule.”
Indeed, when the push comes in April, the Bobcats have only two of eight games on their home court, so the playoffs may have to wait.
So can Brown. There is more teaching to do.
“The changes we made, the guys we brought in, still can get better,” he said.
Mike Monroe
The man wore a light yellow blazer and a salesman's wide smile, and he apologized for interrupting the conversation Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown had begun in the lobby of a Riverwalk hotel early Monday evening.
“I'm sorry,” the man gushed, “but I've just got to shake Coach Brown's hand. I'm 69 years old — I know I don't look it — and I watched you play at Carolina.”
The man didn't lie about his relatively youthful appearance, and Brown didn't lie about his age, either.
“I'm 69, too,” he said as he stood up from a high-backed sofa and extended his hand, and the two shared some Carolina blue memories and congratulated one another on the Tar Heels' victory over Duke on Sunday afternoon. It was a game Brown attended, seated next to Dean Smith and Michael Jordan.
The well-wisher was polite and more considerate than most. He didn't linger to the point of discomfort.
“We're all proud of what you're doing with the Bobcats,” he said as he headed for the elevators, and Brown offered a quick nod of gratitude.
If Carolina is proud of Brown, well, that's almost enough.
Basketball is a way of life in the Piedmont, and Brown's coaching odyssey finally has brought him back to where his career began, as a 32-year-old in charge of the ABA's Carolina Cougars.
There have been nine intermediate stops along the way, and except for two years that preceded his decision to return to the bench, Brown has been a coach since 1972.
He is one of basketball's great turnaround artists, so it is no surprise that a Bobcats team that was 32-50 in 2007-08 has come to San Antonio to play the Spurs with a six-game winning streak and reason to believe it can make the Eastern Conference playoffs.
“The playoff race I don't even focus on,” Brown said. “I always think if you get better and do the right things, the results are pretty positive.
“I've been with so many teams that have been bad, and then gotten better, but this team, well, Coach Smith told me the team that came out of training camp, he said he didn't know if it could contend in the ACC.”
“Play the right way” has been Brown's mantra from the moment he heard Smith tell him it was what he demanded of every North Carolina Tar Heel.
The Bobcats are getting closer to the goal because they are paying attention to a Basketball Hall of Famer and because they have added players capable of doing it.
Trading Jason Richardson to Phoenix for Raja Bell and Boris Diaw gave Brown a pair of players who prefer to play the right way, with the skills to do it.
Later, the 'Cats picked up veteran free agent big man Juwan Howard and made deals for center DeSagana Diop and forward Vlade Radmanovic.
No player Charlotte traded, save Richardson, is in his new team's regular playing rotation.
“In Jason Richardson we gave up a terrific player,” Brown said, “but we got two starters for one, and these guys have been great.
“Then, we got Juwan Howard to go with Nazr (Mohammed). When you have only one older player, and he's not playing, a lot of times (the younger ones) don't listen to what he says, even though he was so valuable.
“But now we've got Nazr, Juwan and Raja, and they look at those three guys as mentors.”
Mentoring is a plus, but Bell and Diaw can play, too, and both are unselfish.
Brown always will take a player who wants to pass more than he likes to score.
“If we had this team from day one, with the schedule we had early, we'd have been pretty good,” Brown said. “The problem we have now is a really bad schedule.”
Indeed, when the push comes in April, the Bobcats have only two of eight games on their home court, so the playoffs may have to wait.
So can Brown. There is more teaching to do.
“The changes we made, the guys we brought in, still can get better,” he said.