Hubie Back In Booth

[ducks]

December 2, 2004 -- Hubie Brown will join Al Michaels on ABC’s lead announce team this season, The Post has learned.

Brown, 71, who resigned as Grizzlies coach on Thanksgiving Day, resumes a broadcasting career that spanned from 1982-2001 and included No. 1 analyst gigs at CBS and TNT.

His return to the booth comes Christmas Day for the ballyhooed Lakers-Heat game, the first meeting of exteammates Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.

Brown followed the path blazed last year by Doc Rivers, who took a job with ABC after Orlando fired him early in the season. Rivers grabbed the work when it seemed destined for Mark Jackson.

This season, ABC inquired about Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson before going with Brown.

In one of several odd twists, ABC executive producer Mike Pearl, who reduced Brown’s on-air role when he ran TNT’s NBA programming in 2001, made the call on this hire. Pearl’s decision, according to sources, was influenced by Michaels and Grizzlies president of basketball operations Jerry West.

Brown and West split on poor terms in Memphis, a source said, but West spoke with his good friend Michaels about teaming with Brown.

Mike Fratello, the soon to- be Memphis coach, worked at TNT before jumping back into coaching. the source (http://nypost.com/sports/32272.htm)

[Nikos]

:elephant

[boutons]

"Brown and West split on poor terms in Memphis"

huh? I watched the West/Brown press conference and West was nearly in tears with his adulation of Brown. Brown walked out on West?

What's the story? Hubie ain't really sick??

[coachtf]

I find it very hard to believe that they split on poor terms. Jerry West has said in interviews that he would hate to go to work without Hubie as coach. I have not seen or heard anything that would suggest that they had a falling out. Has anybody else?

[Kori Ellis]

The article is written by Peter Vecsey. So it's probably BS.

[PimpScourge]

The article is written by Peter Vecsey. So it's probably BS.

lol

[coachtf]

That speaks volumes then. Thanks kori!

[Jimcs50]

I missed Hubie on tv....it is great to have him back in the booth.

[T Park]

"Thats an excellent, EXCELLENT time out, by Gregg Popovich"

The only guy I knew that would praise timeouts and get giddy over em.


If he is so sick, how come he could do this, but not coach?

I understand coaching is more stressfull, but, that much more than TV work??

Plus, hed be better for radio, he looks like death warmed over.

[Jimcs50]

"Thats an excellent, EXCELLENT time out, by Gregg Popovich"

The only guy I knew that would praise timeouts and get giddy over em.


If he is so sick, how come he could do this, but not coach?

I understand coaching is more stressfull, but, that much more than TV work??

Plus, hed be better for radio, he looks like death warmed over.


TPark, tv work is perhaps a 12 hr/wk schedule at the most, NBA coaching is a 100hr/wk schedule at the least.

Are you that dense?

[Manu20]

Good to see hubie in the booth again. He my favorite NBA announcer now that he is back. Second is Dick Stockton and Sean Elliot.

I wonder what TNT is going to do now that Fratello is gone. Maybe is just going to be Kerr and Marv(YES!).

[boutons]

"tv work is perhaps a 12 hr/wk schedule at the most"

Nothing stressless about travelling once or twice a week to announce games. Hubie can't be very sick, if he's physically sick at all.

[Solid D]

Eric Musselman will be Fratello's Assistant. Good call there, by Jerry West and Fratello. Future Memphis Head Coach one seat down the bench.

[spurster]

Well, if say he has cancer and is doing chemo, then he can take nights off broadcasting if he's not up to it, but you can't get away with being a part-time head coach.