Apr

25

Brown Out As 76ers’ VP, Coaching Gig On The Horizon?

Posted by Stephen Rhodes under Main 

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As has been documented here at Slam Dunk Central?(Larry?s Getting Ready; Resigns As Sixers V.P.?) and already qualifying as old news, Larry Brown yesterday resigned as executive vice president of the Philadelphia 76ers.? Ahh, such is the life of a basketball nomad.? I guess the obvious question that comes to mind is this:? where does Brown land from here?? NCAA? NBA? According to Brown’s agent, Joe Glass, nothing is etched in stone; Glass added, “There are a lot of options.? It’s just a matter of sorting them out.”? Let’s sort them out, shall we?

  • NCAA

In my mind’s eye, this would seem like the?next logical?step for Brown.? He’s been successful at?this level?(Kansas, despite the alleged “recruiting violations”, and UCLA).? Brown’s also 67 years old (68 in September); quite frankly, NBA coaching is a younger man’s domain, so again, this seems to be the next location for Brown.? Also keep in mind - coaching in the NCAA doesn’t have that age stigma.? Anyone remember Ray Meyer up in DePaul?? He coached till he was in his 70’s (correct me if I’m wrong).? Also, there was Dean Smith at North Carolina.? Just some examples of where age isn’t necessarily an impediment.

  • NBA

Here’s where it gets real interesting.? Brown’s coaching history is well-known in the league (Denver, ABA/NBA; San Antonio, Indiana, Philadelphia and Detroit).? He’s been very successful at this level (1 championship, 3 Conference Championships, 10 Division Championships, 25 playoff appearances in 26 seasons), so that isn’t being questioned.? There’s this problem that Brown seems to have; the name is “wanderlust”.? by that, I mean that Brown never stays with a franchise for an extended period of time (wearing out his welcome come to mind?).? And Brown does have an ego - boy does he have an ego.? I’m not a psychologist nor pretend to be one, but from most accounts and from what I have seen from my time living in Indianapolis and watching my fair share of games at the former Market Square Arena, Brown strikes me as the insecure type.? Basically, he needs his ego stroked.? One would think that if you’re as successful as he is, that the last thing you need massaged is your ego.? Yet Brown has that issue to deal with.

Brown will land a job somewhere.? The big question is where.? His ego prevents him from being an assistant coach at any level, so that’s out.? So in essence, it’s a head coaching gig or nothing at all.? Coaching is in Brown’s blood as he never was suited for front-office work to begin with.? And he’s no longer with any club, so any prospective employer doesn’t have to ask the Philadelphia 76ers for permission to hire him.? It’s highly unlikely that the New York Knicks will hire him.? The Chicago Bulls remain an intriguing possibility, as well.? Don’t forget about a dark-horse in this NBA realm:?the Golden State Warriors.? Don Nelson hasn’t made his intentions known as of yet, so there’s that possibility looming.?Where Brown lands is unknown, yet it should be interesting to see where he finally lands.? Stay tuned to Slam Dunk Central for any developments on The Larry Brown Watch.?



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