By Doug Miller
A three-sport star at the high school, from which he graduated in 1958, Brown was an All-Atlantic Coast Conference star at the University of North Carolina before embarking on a five-year career in the old American Basketball Association. He is best known as a coach, having become the first coach to win both an NCAA and NBA title. He led Kansas in its improbable championship season in 1988, and coached the Detroit Pistons to an NBA title in 2004.
Brown was also a three-time ABA Coach of the Year, Big Eight conference Coach of the Year and NBA Coach of the Year, and was enshrined in the National Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., in 2002.
Brown coached the men's basketball team in the 2004 Olympics, leading them to a disappointing bronze medal. As a player, he was a member of the gold-medal-winning U.S. team at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo.
A spokesman for the Knicks said Brown was on vacation and unavailable for comment. He dispelled speculation that Brown would be stopping in at Ryan & Walis or Miriam Gold realtors, confirming that he is actually house-hunting in Westchester County. He would also not comment on the nature of Brown's contract with the Knicks, which is said to rival Lakers coach Phil Jackson's deal as the most lucrative in the league.
At his introductory press conference at Madison Square Garden July 28, Brown sidestepped questions about growing up in the area, focusing instead on the task at hand. "There's no bigger stage than Madison Square Garden, and it's a privilege for me to be back in New York," he said. "I can't predict wins and losses, but I promise that every single day we will do our best to make people proud of how we play the game, to show the game the way it is supposed to be played, and what a great team game we have."
Brown's hiring came after more than a month of speculation about his future. He led the Pistons to the NBA finals again this season, but they lost to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 in June. The loss led to speculation in the media that Brown's health was failing and that he would be fired as coach. He was admitted to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and underwent surgery for a bladder disorder, and afterward declared himself fit to return. He was repeatedly quoted as saying he wanted to stay in Detroit, and his wife so much as promised the New York Post that he would not take the Knicks job.
But on July 20 the Pistons bought Brown out of his contract, which still had three years remaining on it. He immediately became the leading candidate for the Knicks job, which was occupied on an interim basis by Herb Williams. With Brown's hiring, Williams accepted a position as an assistant on his staff.
The Knicks have fluctuated between mediocre and awful since losing to Houston in the 1994 NBA finals. Last year they won just 33 of 82 games. They remain the biggest winter sports draw in the region, and Brown's hiring should add some bounce to their step.
The fans aren't going anywhere, and the Long Beach crowd that grew up with or watched Brown are ready to welcome him back. Wandy Williams, the Long Beach High coach, told the Herald last month that he would be a Brown fan whether Brown returned or not. "He's going to make the decision that's right for him and his family," Williams said. "Whatever that decision is is fine with Wandy."
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