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ducks
07-19-2005, 07:19 PM
DETROIT -- Larry Brown is out as coach of the Detroit Pistons.


Brown and the Pistons reached a settlement Tuesday on the final three years of his contract, Pistons spokesman Matt Dobek said. He is now free to coach another team next season, said Dobek, who declined to provide further details.


Asked if the team had fired Brown, Dobek replied: "Say what you want.''


The team didn't want the Hall of Fame coach back and had offered a payoff, Brown's agent, Joe Glass, said Tuesday.


"I take umbrage with the Pistons, or sources, saying it's a buyout,'' Glass said Tuesday morning before the announcement. "A buyout encompasses a mutual agreement, and that's not what is happening. Larry Brown is saying, 'I want to coach the Pistons,' and they want to pay him off for whatever reason.''


Before the Pistons said Monday that they were negotiating a buyout, they had said they would welcome Brown back if he was willing to return.


"Until this week, I can't remember a time that I read Joe Dumars not categorically state that Larry Brown is our coach,'' Glass said. "The Pistons can try to change the facts, but you can't change history.


"When did this all break down? My best guess is months ago.''


After the announcement, messages seeking comment were left with Brown, Glass, team president of basketball operations Joe Dumars, and Pistons players Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups.


Two years ago, Detroit signed Brown to a five-year contract worth about $25 million, plus incentive bonuses. He guided the Pistons to the NBA championship in 2004 and came one victory away from repeating this year.


Throughout the season, Brown insisted he would return if doctors deemed him healthy enough, and said he wouldn't lead another NBA team from the sideline. Still, there have been reports that the New York Knicks will not hire a new coach until they know for sure that Brown is unavailable.


The 64-year-old Brown was hospitalized for treatment of a medical problem that developed from complications following hip surgery in November and persisted after a second procedure in March. He checked into the Mayo Clinic the morning after last month's NBA draft, less than a week after Detroit lost Game 7 of the finals to the San Antonio Spurs.


"His medical condition isn't 100 percent and it hasn't improved much,'' Glass said. "But we're trusting God that it will, and Larry has represented that he is physically, spiritually and emotionally able to coach.


"I do not want myself or Larry to sound vindictive because this is a free country, but at the same token, facts are facts. Some are saying Larry is using his health as an excuse, but that's not the truth because he's more than willing to come back, even with his current condition.''


Brown and Glass met with Dumars and Pistons owner Bill Davidson last week. Other than traveling to suburban Detroit for the meeting, Brown has been resting, on doctor's orders, at his vacation home in New York.


During the regular season, reports linked Brown to jobs in New York, Los Angeles and Denver.


The Cleveland Cavaliers talked with Brown about becoming their president of basketball operations after Detroit gave them permission during the spring. Cleveland hired Danny Ferry as general manager last month, and he has been assured that Brown will not be his boss.


Brown is the only coach with NBA and NCAA championships, winning a title with the Pistons last year and one with Kansas in 1988.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2111596

Ocotillo
07-19-2005, 07:47 PM
Does this suprise anyone? Larry just can't be happy. The Knicks might as well ask him to coach the team but don't give him anything longer than a three year deal because Larry will start playing Hamlet about that time.

boutons
07-19-2005, 07:51 PM
July 19, 2005

Larry Brown Is Out as Coach of Pistons

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 8:14 p.m. ET

DETROIT (AP) -- Larry Brown is out as coach of the Detroit Pistons. Brown and the Pistons reached a settlement Tuesday on the final three years of his contract, Pistons spokesman Matt Dobek said. He now is free to coach another team next season, said Dobek, who declined to provide further details.

Asked if the team had fired Brown, Dobek replied: ''Say what you want.''

The team didn't want the Hall of Fame coach back and had offered a payoff, Brown's agent, Joe Glass, said Tuesday.

''I take umbrage with the Pistons, or sources, saying it's a buyout,'' Glass said Tuesday morning before the announcement. ''A buyout encompasses a mutual agreement, and that's not what is happening. Larry Brown is saying, 'I want to coach the Pistons,' and they want to pay him off for whatever reason.''

Before the Pistons said that they were negotiating a buyout Monday, they had said they would welcome Brown back if he was willing to return.

''Until this week, I can't remember a time that I read Joe Dumars not categorically state that Larry Brown is our coach,'' Glass said. ''The Pistons can try to change the facts, but you can't change history.

''When did this all break down? My best guess is months ago.''

After the announcement, messages seeking comment were left with Brown, Glass, team president of basketball operations Joe Dumars, and Pistons players Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups.

In a statement, Dumars said ''the search for a new Pistons' head coach has already begun.'' Brown is expected to be replaced by former Minnesota Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders.

Two years ago, Detroit signed Brown to a five-year contract worth about $25 million, plus incentive bonuses. He guided the Pistons to the NBA championship in 2004 and came one victory away from repeating this year.

Throughout the season, Brown insisted he would return if doctors deemed him healthy enough, and said he wouldn't lead another NBA team from the sideline. Still, there have been reports that the New York Knicks would not hire a new coach until they knew for sure Brown is unavailable.

The 64-year-old Brown was hospitalized for treatment of a medical problem that developed from complications following hip surgery in November and persisted after a second procedure in March. He checked into the Mayo Clinic the morning after last month's NBA draft, less than a week after Detroit lost Game 7 of the finals to the San Antonio Spurs.

''His medical condition isn't 100 percent and it hasn't improved much,'' Glass said. ''But we're trusting God that it will, and Larry has represented that he is physically, spiritually and emotionally able to coach.

''I do not want myself or Larry to sound vindictive because this is a free country, but at the same token, facts are facts. Some are saying Larry is using his health as an excuse, but that's not the truth because he's more than willing to come back, even with his current condition.''

Brown and Glass met with Dumars and Pistons owner Bill Davidson last week. Other than traveling to suburban Detroit for the meeting, Brown has been resting, on doctor's orders, at his vacation home in New York.

During the regular season, reports linked Brown to jobs in New York, Los Angeles and Denver.

The Cleveland Cavaliers talked with Brown about becoming their president of basketball operations after Detroit gave them permission during the spring. Cleveland hired Danny Ferry as general manager last month, and he has been assured that Brown will not be his boss.

Brown is the only coach with NBA and NCAA championships, winning a title with the Pistons last year and one with Kansas in 1988.

His longest tenure with any team was six seasons with Philadelphia. He had two years left on his contract there before coming to Detroit.

Brown led the 76ers to the playoffs for five straight seasons, including the 2001 NBA Finals, and became the first coach to take six NBA teams to the playoffs when the Sixers made it in 1999.

He also coached Denver (five years), Indiana (four years), San Antonio (3 1/2 years), New Jersey (two years), Carolina of the ABA (two years) and the Los Angeles Clippers (18 months). His NCAA teams include UCLA and Kansas, where he left after winning the title.

When he was hired in Detroit, Brown refused to set a timetable on leading the Pistons to their third NBA championship, but promised not to embarrass the team.

The win over the Spurs in Game 6 this year was Brown's 100th in the postseason, moving him past Red Auerbach for third place on the all-time list.

Brown has more than 1,000 NBA victories in the regular season and playoffs. Since starting his career in 1972 with the ABA's Carolina Cougars, he has led pro and college teams to more than 1,400 wins.

Brown also coached the U.S. men's basketball team to a bronze-medal finish at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, the first time since pro players were added for in 1992 that the Americans went home without gold.

HB22inSA
07-19-2005, 08:16 PM
"I take umbrage with the Pistons, or sources, saying it's a buyout,'' Glass said Tuesday morning before the announcement. "A buyout encompasses a mutual agreement, and that's not what is happening. Larry Brown is saying, 'I want to coach the Pistons,' and they want to pay him off for whatever reason.''

What the hell is this all about?

I thought it was "all good in the hood?"

Anyone else catch this?

Johnny Tightlips
07-19-2005, 08:20 PM
i take umbrage at alotta things

boutons
07-19-2005, 08:35 PM
The New York Times

July 20, 2005

A Strained Farewell in Detroit as Brown Bids Pistons Goodbye
By LIZ ROBBINS

The Detroit Pistons agreed to part ways with Larry Brown as their coach yesterday after a successful two-year run but following tense negotiations that had been developing over the last two weeks.

The Pistons and Brown came to an agreement on a buyout of his contract that had three years and $21 million remaining. The agreement does not restrict Brown from coaching another team, and the Knicks are free to pursue him without any compensation to the Pistons.

"Larry was relieved of his coaching duties today," said a Pistons spokesman, Matt Dobek. "The Pistons and Brown came to a resolution on his contractual situation. No other terms are being released, but it would allow him to coach next season."

The sides tried to work out their differences before the Pistons determined they were irreconcilable, a conclusion apparently made easier by Brown's recent public attempts to cling to a job he had sought to leave during the season.

Brown's camp actually sought to have a one-year restriction on his returning to coaching, according to a person in the N.B.A. briefed on the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity before negotiations were complete. Such a restriction could have made the Pistons look inflexible and Brown look wronged.

Calls to Brown and his agent, Joe Glass, were not immediately returned.

The Pistons had no qualms about allowing Brown, 64, to join his 11th N.B.A. team and coach somewhere else this season, an indication of their willingness to part with a coach who they felt had produced as much drama as results.

He brought the Pistons to a title in 2004, his first season, and then to Game 7 of the N.B.A. finals in June. During the playoffs, however, Brown admitted talking to the Cleveland Cavaliers about becoming their president for basketball operations.

According to several people within the Pistons' organization, Brown discussed with Cleveland some of the candidates to fill out the Cavaliers' front office during the Pistons' playoff run. Brown later acknowledged, in early June, that he had been acting as a "consultant" for the Cavaliers.

But when the revelation of his discussions with Cleveland created a public backlash, Brown - who had been dealing with a bladder condition stemming from complications from hip surgery - said that he had talked to the Cavaliers about a front-office job only as insurance if he could not coach.

Four days after the finals ended, the Cavaliers announced they were moving on without Brown, hiring Danny Ferry as their general manager. Brown took an additional three weeks to tell the Pistons he was healthy enough to coach next season. By that time, the Pistons, especially their owner, Bill Davidson, were concerned with Brown's health and frustrated by his inability to commit.

In the two seasons Brown coached the Pistons, he brought them to back-to-back finals appearances and 54-28 regular-season records. After coaching the Philadelphia 76ers for six years, Brown resurfaced in Detroit. He replaced Rick Carlisle in 2003, whom the Pistons had fired after he was named the N.B.A.'s coach of the year for bringing them to the Eastern Conference finals.

Brown did what the Pistons hired him to do - go further. But this second season proved taxing for him, his players and the team's management. Brown missed 17 games because of health reasons, and he never dismissed reports about his interest in the Knicks' and the Lakers' coaching jobs.

Brown, from Long Island, has long admired the Knicks, calling their coaching job a "dream job" in The New York Post this past winter.

The Knicks have made no secret of their interest in securing Brown's Hall of Fame talent. Currently, Herb Williams is the coach. If Brown is not interested, Williams could be named the permanent coach this week.

An N.B.A. executive who spoke on condition of anonymity because of his relationship with Brown said: "Larry won't sit for an entire season, maybe he will sit for a while. Larry's a coach, and he'll be served best as a coach."

* Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company

2centsworth
07-19-2005, 08:48 PM
Bye, bye detroit basketball. They will soon find out Flip Saunders sucks.

baseline bum
07-19-2005, 11:21 PM
How can you walk out on a job like Detroit's? You have a title contender that still has all of its best players in their primes, they won a title last year, were a good 4th quarter in game 7 from winning it again, no one on the team seems to have an ego except Darko, they play hard and with passion, no one except Darko tries to be above the team, you're payed huge money... what more can a guy ask for? I don't know how the hell Brown screwed that up. It's pretty obvious that the players wanted him gone and they probably made it known to the team officials, but I don't fault them at all. Brown's the one with the history of pulling this crap. His players are the ones who have shown incredible maturity and toughness that's just exceedingly rare in the NBA at any time in its history. Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Rip Hamilton, Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess, Tayshaun Prince, Lindsey Hunter, and Joe Dumars all deserve so much better. It's really sad for this league because Brown is such an amazing coach that he can bring out the best in these guys. Of course I can't root for them to win the championship next year (I want the repeat), but let's say I would not be disappointed to see them back on top, and if the Spurs don't win it I hope the Pistons do. For them to just rip conventional basketball logic to shreds in 2004 was amazing, and them to come so close to doing it again shows just how special a group they are despite all these BS distractions Brown brought on the team.

SequSpur
07-19-2005, 11:29 PM
As soon as Brown's gets a gig, he is interviewing for the next one. That is why he is gone.

He is a tool.