ducks
12-24-2006, 09:33 AM
Spurs notebook: Brown helps out undermanned Hornets
Web Posted: 12/24/2006 12:19 AM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
OKLAHOMA CITY — Devin Brown sat in front of his TV in San Antonio on Wednesday night, flipping between the Spurs' game against Memphis and the rest of the NBA schedule, unaware his own return to the league was little more than one remote click away.
When Brown returned from his daily workout the next morning, his agent phoned to say the Hornets were interested in signing him. He called back 30 minutes later to tell Brown he needed to be on a flight to Oklahoma City in three hours.
Brown officially signed with the Hornets on Friday, ending a three-month sabbatical from the league that began when Golden State waived him shortly before the start of training camp.
"It's tough to deal with," said Brown, who spent parts of his first three NBA seasons with the Spurs. "Teams (say) they want veteran guys. But where's the line on a veteran guy? How many years does that take?
"But when you do get your opportunity, you have to take advantage of it."
Brown wasn't sure when that opportunity would arrive. So the former UTSA and Spurs guard worked out daily at a San Antonio gym while spending his evenings playing in various city-league games around town.
"Getting called for traveling in the open court a couple of times is going to anger you," Brown said. "So I knew I had to get back up here (to the NBA)."
The Charlotte Bobcats considered signing him or Penny Hardaway earlier this season before going with Derek Anderson. Brown also had what he described as a "very nice" offer from Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv.
"It came down to jumping the gun and going, or waiting and seeing what was going to happen," Brown said. "Once again, I waited.
"I know the workouts I was putting myself through were a combination of what San Antonio does and what Pat Riley in Miami taught me. So I knew the conditioning was going to be there. It was just a matter of, 'when is the call going to come?'"
The Hornets had Brown work out for 2 1/2 hours in San Antonio for one of their scouts.
"He wanted to see what my conditioning was," Brown said. "He said, 'Do you do this every day?' I said, 'I've been doing this every day for like the last two months.'
"He came back and gave me a good report and they pulled the trigger on me."
The Hornets signed Brown because Bobby Jackson, Peja Stojakovic and David West — three of the team's top six players — are out with injuries. Stojakovic and West could be out for up to two months.
Hornets coach Byron Scott played Brown 10 minutes in Friday's overtime victory over Memphis and also played him 20 minutes against the Spurs on Saturday.
Brown scored four points and had three rebounds, three assists and one steal.
He only made 1 of 7 shots from the floor.
"You look at the situation and these guys are right there," Brown said of his new team. "Being a part of this and trying to help is exciting."
If nothing else, it pays better than playing city-league ball.
Briefly: Robert Horry joined Jackie Butler on the inactive list Saturday. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has held Horry out of the team's past three back-to-backs. ... The Seattle SuperSonics' new owner, Clay Bennett, spoke with Popovich before the game. Bennett, who lives in Oklahoma, was part of the Spurs' former ownership group under the late Gen. Robert F. McDermott.
Web Posted: 12/24/2006 12:19 AM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
OKLAHOMA CITY — Devin Brown sat in front of his TV in San Antonio on Wednesday night, flipping between the Spurs' game against Memphis and the rest of the NBA schedule, unaware his own return to the league was little more than one remote click away.
When Brown returned from his daily workout the next morning, his agent phoned to say the Hornets were interested in signing him. He called back 30 minutes later to tell Brown he needed to be on a flight to Oklahoma City in three hours.
Brown officially signed with the Hornets on Friday, ending a three-month sabbatical from the league that began when Golden State waived him shortly before the start of training camp.
"It's tough to deal with," said Brown, who spent parts of his first three NBA seasons with the Spurs. "Teams (say) they want veteran guys. But where's the line on a veteran guy? How many years does that take?
"But when you do get your opportunity, you have to take advantage of it."
Brown wasn't sure when that opportunity would arrive. So the former UTSA and Spurs guard worked out daily at a San Antonio gym while spending his evenings playing in various city-league games around town.
"Getting called for traveling in the open court a couple of times is going to anger you," Brown said. "So I knew I had to get back up here (to the NBA)."
The Charlotte Bobcats considered signing him or Penny Hardaway earlier this season before going with Derek Anderson. Brown also had what he described as a "very nice" offer from Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv.
"It came down to jumping the gun and going, or waiting and seeing what was going to happen," Brown said. "Once again, I waited.
"I know the workouts I was putting myself through were a combination of what San Antonio does and what Pat Riley in Miami taught me. So I knew the conditioning was going to be there. It was just a matter of, 'when is the call going to come?'"
The Hornets had Brown work out for 2 1/2 hours in San Antonio for one of their scouts.
"He wanted to see what my conditioning was," Brown said. "He said, 'Do you do this every day?' I said, 'I've been doing this every day for like the last two months.'
"He came back and gave me a good report and they pulled the trigger on me."
The Hornets signed Brown because Bobby Jackson, Peja Stojakovic and David West — three of the team's top six players — are out with injuries. Stojakovic and West could be out for up to two months.
Hornets coach Byron Scott played Brown 10 minutes in Friday's overtime victory over Memphis and also played him 20 minutes against the Spurs on Saturday.
Brown scored four points and had three rebounds, three assists and one steal.
He only made 1 of 7 shots from the floor.
"You look at the situation and these guys are right there," Brown said of his new team. "Being a part of this and trying to help is exciting."
If nothing else, it pays better than playing city-league ball.
Briefly: Robert Horry joined Jackie Butler on the inactive list Saturday. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has held Horry out of the team's past three back-to-backs. ... The Seattle SuperSonics' new owner, Clay Bennett, spoke with Popovich before the game. Bennett, who lives in Oklahoma, was part of the Spurs' former ownership group under the late Gen. Robert F. McDermott.