Hubie Brown
Encyclopedia
Hubert Jude "Hubie" Brown (born September 25, 1933 in Hazleton
, Pennsylvania
, USA) is a retired American basketball
coach and a current television
analyst. Brown is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year, the honors being separated by 26 years. Brown was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame
in 2005.
, Brown moved to Elizabeth, New Jersey
at the age of 3 and was raised there, graduating from St. Mary of the Assumption High School
in 1951.
Hubie Brown played college basketball
at Niagara University
, graduating in 1955 with a degree in education. After leaving Niagara, Brown joined the U.S. Army
where he joined the Army's basketball team. After being honorably discharged in 1958, Brown briefly played for the Rochester Colonels
of the Eastern Professional Basketball League (the forerunner to the Continental Basketball Association
) before they folded after just eight games. He averaged 13.8 points per game in his brief stint as a pro and was an excellent defender as a player.
While at Niagara, Brown was a teammate (and roommate) of former Utah Jazz
coach Frank Layden
.
Brown's defensive mentality would carry on into his coaching career, which began in 1955 at St. Mary Academy in Little Falls
, New York where he coached both basketball and baseball. He spent nine years at the high school level, including Cranford High School
in Cranford, New Jersey
and Fair Lawn High School
in Fair Lawn, New Jersey
before becoming an assistant coach for one season at the College of William and Mary
in 1968. The following season, Brown joined Duke University
as an assistant coach.
, when he joined the NBA
as an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks
under Larry Costello
. Milwaukee made the NBA Finals in 1974 with future Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
and Oscar Robertson
, but fell in seven games to the Boston Celtics
, who were led by their own superstars: Dave Cowens
, John Havlicek
, Jo Jo White
and future Bucks coach Don Nelson
.
of the American Basketball Association
. Brown led the Colonels to the 1975 ABA Championship
. Brown continued as the Colonels' coach until the ABA-NBA merger in 1976 when the Colonels franchise folded, one of two ABA teams that did not join the NBA (the Spirits of St. Louis
being the other).
, going 31-51 in his first season with the Hawks. But by the 1977-78 season
, the Hawks had rebounded into a .500 team, finishing 41-41 and earning Coach of the Year
honors for Brown.
, before joining the New York Knicks
in 1982
, succeeding long-time coach Red Holtzman. He stayed with the Knicks until he was fired in 1986
after starting the season 4-12. After reaching the playoffs in each of Brown's first two seasons, the Knicks plummeted to 24-58 in 1984-85 and 23-59 in 1985-86
. But there were circumstances that were far beyond Brown's control that hastened the downfall. Star forward Bernard King
suffered a devastating knee injury in March 1985 in a game against the Kansas City Kings, not fully recovering for two seasons, while Patrick Ewing
, the top overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft
, missed 32 games in an injury-plagued rookie season. Brown left the Knicks at the beginning of the 1986-87
season, succeeded by Bob Hill
.
, Brown was again tapped to be a head coach in the NBA, this time by Jerry West
with the Memphis Grizzlies
, who fired coach Sidney Lowe
after an 0-8 start. The Grizzlies' choice of Brown was quite controversial at the time; Hubie Brown was the oldest coach in the NBA at the age of 69.
Brown finished the season with a 28-46 record with the team, at the time the team's record for wins. However, the team underwent a complete turnaround for the 2003-04 season
, finishing 50-32 and making the playoffs
for the first time in team history. Brown was again named the NBA's Coach of the Year.
However, by the 2004-05 season
, there were again concerns about Brown's health and age. Brown was given medical clearance to start the season, but was forced to delegate much work to his assistant coaches, including his son, Brendan Brown. This led to an incident between Brendan Brown and Jason Williams when Williams snapped at Brown during the fourth quarter of a game early on in the season. Williams eventually apologized, but the Grizzlies were beginning to struggle during the season, starting 5-7.
Brown then unexpectedly resigned from the Grizzlies on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 2004. In a statement, he cited "unexpected health-related issues... [that were] absolutely nonexistent at the beginning of the season." Details of the specific "health-related issues" were not announced. Shortly afterward Mike Fratello
was announced as the new Grizzlies coach, marking the second time in his career that he had succeeded Brown at an NBA head coaching position.
Soon after Brown's unexpected departure, it was reported by Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal
(Memphis' main newspaper) that a combination of negative attitudes among James Posey, Jason Williams, and Bonzi Wells
led to his leaving. Brown coached his team with a 10-man rotation which meant that players got smaller amounts of playing time.
as the third team during select regular season and playoff games. Before that, while still Knicks head coach Brown was paired with Brent Musburger
during the 1985 NBA Playoffs
. In 1988
, CBS named Brown to replace Billy Cunningham
as its lead analyst alongside play-by-play man Dick Stockton
. Brown remained with CBS until the end of their NBA coverage following the 1990 NBA Finals
, then worked on the local broadcasts for the Philadelphia 76ers
and the Detroit Pistons
before joining TNT in the early 1990s. Brown continued anchoring TNT's basketball coverage through the 2001-02 season
, in which he was paired with various announcers such as Bob Neal
, Ron Thulin, Pete Van Wieren
, and his old CBS partners Verne Lundquist and Dick Stockton.
Shortly after his departure from the Grizzlies, Brown signed with ABC as their top NBA analyst. Brown worked with Al Michaels
and Mike Breen
on some regular-season and playoff games, including the 2005 NBA Finals
and 2006 NBA Finals
, before he was replaced as lead analyst by Mark Jackson
and Jeff Van Gundy
. Brown currently calls games on ABC and ESPN alongside Mike Tirico
and also contributes to ESPN Radio
's coverage of the NBA playoffs and NBA Finals
.
| align="left" |ATL
| align="left" |
|82||31||51||.378|| align="center" |6th in Central||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |ATL
| align="left" |
|82||41||41||.500|| align="center" |4th in Central||2||0||2||.000
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
|-
| align="left" |ATL
| align="left" |
|82||46||36||.561|| align="center" |3rd in Central||9||5||4||.556
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
|-
| align="left" |ATL
| align="left" |
|82||50||32||.610|| align="center" |1st in Central||5||1||4||.200
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
|-
| align="left" |ATL
| align="left" |
|79||31||48||.392|| align="center" |(fired)||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |—
|-
| align="left" |NYK
| align="left" |
|82||44||38||.537|| align="center" |4th in Atlantic||6||2||4||.333
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
|-
| align="left" |NYK
| align="left" |
|82||47||35||.573|| align="center" |3rd in Atlantic||12||6||6||.500
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
|-
| align="left" |NYK
| align="left" |
|82||24||58||.293|| align="center" |5th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |NYK
| align="left" |
|82||23||59||.280|| align="center" |5th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |NYK
| align="left" |
|16||4||12||.250|| align="center" |(fired)||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |—
|-
| align="left" |MEM
| align="left" |
|74||28||46||.378|| align="center" |6th in Midwest||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |MEM
| align="left" |
|82||50||32||.610|| align="center" |4th in Midwest||4||0||4||.000
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
|-
| align="left" |MEM
| align="left" |
|12||5||7||.417|| align="center" |(resigned)||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |—
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" |Career
| ||919||424||495||.461|| ||38||14||24||.368
Hazleton, Pennsylvania
Hazleton is a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 25,340 at the 2010 census, an increase of 8.6% from the 2000 census count .-Greater Hazleton:...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, USA) is a retired American basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach and a current television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
analyst. Brown is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year, the honors being separated by 26 years. Brown was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
in 2005.
Early life and career
Born in Hazleton, PennsylvaniaHazleton, Pennsylvania
Hazleton is a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 25,340 at the 2010 census, an increase of 8.6% from the 2000 census count .-Greater Hazleton:...
, Brown moved to Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 124,969, retaining its ranking as New Jersey's fourth largest city with an increase of 4,401 residents from its 2000 Census population of 120,568...
at the age of 3 and was raised there, graduating from St. Mary of the Assumption High School
St. Mary of the Assumption High School
St. Mary of the Assumption High School is a small Catholic high school on Broad Street in Elizabeth, in Union County, New Jersey, United States. The old High School building consists of a three-story brick building with a basement serving as additional classroom space for a total of four floors of...
in 1951.
Hubie Brown played college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
at Niagara University
Niagara University
Niagara University is a Catholic university in the Vincentian tradition, located in the Town of Lewiston in Niagara County, New York. Originally founded by the Congregation of the Mission in 1856 as Our Lady of Angels Seminary, it became Niagara University in 1883. The University is still run by...
, graduating in 1955 with a degree in education. After leaving Niagara, Brown joined the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
where he joined the Army's basketball team. After being honorably discharged in 1958, Brown briefly played for the Rochester Colonels
Rochester Colonels
The Rochester Colonels were a short-lived franchise in the Eastern Professional Basketball League in the 1958-59 season. The franchise played just eight games and lost them all, before folding on December 17, 1958...
of the Eastern Professional Basketball League (the forerunner to the Continental Basketball Association
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...
) before they folded after just eight games. He averaged 13.8 points per game in his brief stint as a pro and was an excellent defender as a player.
While at Niagara, Brown was a teammate (and roommate) of former Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
coach Frank Layden
Frank Layden
Frank Layden is a retired American basketball coach and executive of the NBA's Utah Jazz.-Coaching career:In additional to his coaching at the professional level, Layden is also a former head coach and player of his alma mater Niagara University's basketball team...
.
Brown's defensive mentality would carry on into his coaching career, which began in 1955 at St. Mary Academy in Little Falls
Little Falls (city), New York
Little Falls is a city in Herkimer County, New York, USA. The population was 5,188 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from a small cataract near the city....
, New York where he coached both basketball and baseball. He spent nine years at the high school level, including Cranford High School
Cranford High School
Cranford High School is a four-year public high school located in Cranford, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Cranford Township Public Schools...
in Cranford, New Jersey
Cranford, New Jersey
Cranford is a township in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township population was 22,625.Cranford was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 14, 1871, from portions of the Townships of Clark, Linden,...
and Fair Lawn High School
Fair Lawn High School
Fair Lawn High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Fair Lawn Public Schools...
in Fair Lawn, New Jersey
Fair Lawn, New Jersey
Fair Lawn is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States and a suburban municipality in the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 32,457. Fair Lawn was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March...
before becoming an assistant coach for one season at the College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...
in 1968. The following season, Brown joined Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
as an assistant coach.
Milwaukee Bucks
Brown coached at Duke until 19721972-73 NBA season
The 1972–73 NBA season was the 27th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the New York Knicks winning the NBA Championship, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals.- Notable occurrences :...
, when he joined the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
as an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
under Larry Costello
Larry Costello
Lawrence Ronald "Larry" Costello was an American professional basketball player and coach....
. Milwaukee made the NBA Finals in 1974 with future Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...
and Oscar Robertson
Oscar Robertson
Oscar Palmer Robertson , nicknamed "The Big O", is a former American NBA player with the Cincinnati Royals and the Milwaukee Bucks...
, but fell in seven games to the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
, who were led by their own superstars: Dave Cowens
Dave Cowens
David William Cowens is a retired American professional basketball player and NBA head coach. At 6'9", he played the center and occasionally the power forward position. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991...
, John Havlicek
John Havlicek
John J. "Hondo" Havlicek is a retired American professional basketball player who competed for 16 seasons with the Boston Celtics, winning eight NBA titles, half of them coming in his first four seasons....
, Jo Jo White
Jo Jo White
Joseph Henry "Jo Jo" White is an American former professional basketball player.-Life and career:White was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of a minister...
and future Bucks coach Don Nelson
Don Nelson
Donald Arvid "Don" Nelson is a former NBA player and head coach. He coached the Milwaukee Bucks, the New York Knicks, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Golden State Warriors....
.
Kentucky Colonels
After two seasons in the NBA, Brown was given his first professional-level head coaching opportunity – the head coach position with the Kentucky ColonelsKentucky Colonels
The Kentucky Colonels were a member of the American Basketball Association for all of the league's nine years. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels. The Colonels won the most games and had the highest winning percentage of any franchise in the league's history, but the team did...
of the American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
. Brown led the Colonels to the 1975 ABA Championship
1975 ABA Playoffs
The 1975 ABA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the American Basketball Association's 1974-1975 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Kentucky Colonels defeating the Western Division champion Indiana Pacers, four games to one in the ABA Finals.The Kentucky...
. Brown continued as the Colonels' coach until the ABA-NBA merger in 1976 when the Colonels franchise folded, one of two ABA teams that did not join the NBA (the Spirits of St. Louis
Spirits of St. Louis
The Spirits of St. Louis were one of two teams still in existence at the end of the American Basketball Association that did not survive the ABA-NBA merger. They were a member of the ABA in its last two seasons, 1974–75 and 1975–76, while playing their home games at the St...
being the other).
Atlanta Hawks
Brown then rejoined the NBA as head coach of the Atlanta HawksAtlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
, going 31-51 in his first season with the Hawks. But by the 1977-78 season
1977-78 NBA season
The 1977–78 NBA season was the 32nd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Washington Bullets winning the NBA Championship, beating the Seattle SuperSonics 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals.-Notable occurrences:...
, the Hawks had rebounded into a .500 team, finishing 41-41 and earning Coach of the Year
NBA Coach of the Year Award
The National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1962–63 NBA season. The winner receives the Red Auerbach Trophy, which is named in honor of the head coach who led the Boston Celtics to nine NBA Championships from 1956 to 1966...
honors for Brown.
New York Knicks
Brown continued to coach the Hawks, leading them to a Central Division Title in the 1979-80 season1979-80 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles Lakers*Rookie of the Year: Larry Bird, Boston Celtics*Coach of the Year: Bill Fitch, Boston Celtics*All-NBA First Team:**Paul Westphal, Phoenix Suns...
, before joining the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in 1982
1982-83 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Moses Malone, Philadelphia 76ers*Rookie of the Year: Terry Cummings, San Diego Clippers*Defensive Player of the Year: Sidney Moncrief, Milwaukee Bucks...
, succeeding long-time coach Red Holtzman. He stayed with the Knicks until he was fired in 1986
1985-86 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Larry Bird, Boston Celtics*Rookie of the Year: Patrick Ewing, New York Knicks*Defensive Player of the Year: Alvin Robertson, San Antonio Spurs...
after starting the season 4-12. After reaching the playoffs in each of Brown's first two seasons, the Knicks plummeted to 24-58 in 1984-85 and 23-59 in 1985-86
1985-86 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Larry Bird, Boston Celtics*Rookie of the Year: Patrick Ewing, New York Knicks*Defensive Player of the Year: Alvin Robertson, San Antonio Spurs...
. But there were circumstances that were far beyond Brown's control that hastened the downfall. Star forward Bernard King
Bernard King
Bernard King is a retired American professional basketball player at the small forward position in the NBA...
suffered a devastating knee injury in March 1985 in a game against the Kansas City Kings, not fully recovering for two seasons, while Patrick Ewing
Patrick Ewing
Patrick Aloysius Ewing Sr. is a Jamaican-American retired Hall of Fame basketball player and current assistant coach for the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic. He played most of his career with the NBA's New York Knicks as their starting center and played briefly with the Seattle...
, the top overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft
1985 NBA Draft
The 1985 NBA Draft took place on June 18, 1985. It was also the first NBA Draft of the "Lottery" era. A total of 162 players were selected over 7 rounds by the league's 23 teams. The New York Knicks were awarded the first overall pick, by winning the first-ever NBA Draft Lottery, which was held...
, missed 32 games in an injury-plagued rookie season. Brown left the Knicks at the beginning of the 1986-87
1986-87 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-Yearly awards:* Most Valuable Player: Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers* Rookie of the Year: Chuck Person, Indiana Pacers* Defensive Player of the Year: Michael Cooper, Los Angeles Lakers...
season, succeeded by Bob Hill
Bob Hill
Robert W. Hill is an American basketball coach. Hill grew up in Mount Sterling, Ohio moving to Worthington, Ohio for high school. Upon graduating from high School, Hill entered Bowling Green State University. Hill is currently the head coach of the Tokyo Apache in Japan...
.
Memphis Grizzlies
During the 2002-03 season2002-03 NBA season
The 2002–03 NBA season was the 57th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the San Antonio Spurs beating the New Jersey Nets 4-2 in the 2003 NBA Finals.-Notable occurrences:...
, Brown was again tapped to be a head coach in the NBA, this time by Jerry West
Jerry West
Jerry Alan West is a retired American basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His nicknames include "Mr...
with the Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
, who fired coach Sidney Lowe
Sidney Lowe
Sidney Rochell Lowe is an American basketball coach and is currently an assistant coach with the Utah Jazz. He is a former NBA player and head coach, and has served as the head coach at North Carolina State University,.-Biography:Lowe began his career at DeMatha Catholic High School in...
after an 0-8 start. The Grizzlies' choice of Brown was quite controversial at the time; Hubie Brown was the oldest coach in the NBA at the age of 69.
Brown finished the season with a 28-46 record with the team, at the time the team's record for wins. However, the team underwent a complete turnaround for the 2003-04 season
2003-04 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-Yearly awards:*Most Valuable Player: Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves*Rookie of the Year: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers*Defensive Player of the Year: Ron Artest, Indiana Pacers...
, finishing 50-32 and making the playoffs
2004 NBA Playoffs
The 2004 NBA Playoffs were the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2003–04 season. Consisting of 16 teams in two conferences, the playoffs involved about two months of play. The playoffs were conducted in seven-game series, with the team with the better record holding home court...
for the first time in team history. Brown was again named the NBA's Coach of the Year.
However, by the 2004-05 season
2004-05 NBA season
The 2004–05 NBA season was the 59th season of the National Basketball Association . It began on November 2, 2004 and ended June 23, 2005. The season ended with the San Antonio Spurs defeating defending champion Detroit Pistons 4–3 in the NBA Finals....
, there were again concerns about Brown's health and age. Brown was given medical clearance to start the season, but was forced to delegate much work to his assistant coaches, including his son, Brendan Brown. This led to an incident between Brendan Brown and Jason Williams when Williams snapped at Brown during the fourth quarter of a game early on in the season. Williams eventually apologized, but the Grizzlies were beginning to struggle during the season, starting 5-7.
Brown then unexpectedly resigned from the Grizzlies on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 2004. In a statement, he cited "unexpected health-related issues... [that were] absolutely nonexistent at the beginning of the season." Details of the specific "health-related issues" were not announced. Shortly afterward Mike Fratello
Mike Fratello
Michael Robert "Mike" Fratello is an American color analyst and a professional basketball coach. He previously coached the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA, and is currently the head coach of the Ukraine national basketball team.-Background:Fratello was born in...
was announced as the new Grizzlies coach, marking the second time in his career that he had succeeded Brown at an NBA head coaching position.
Soon after Brown's unexpected departure, it was reported by Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal
The Commercial Appeal
The Commercial Appeal is the predominant daily newspaper of Memphis, Tennessee, and its surrounding metropolitan area. It is owned by The E. W. Scripps Company, a major North American media company. Scripps also owned the former afternoon paper, the Memphis Press-Scimitar, which it folded in...
(Memphis' main newspaper) that a combination of negative attitudes among James Posey, Jason Williams, and Bonzi Wells
Bonzi Wells
Gawen DeAngelo "Bonzi" Wells is an American professional basketball player. A 6' 5" shooting guard, he last played for Capitanes de Arecibo of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional, the main Puerto Rican basketball league. He played college basketball at Ball State University and was drafted in the...
led to his leaving. Brown coached his team with a 10-man rotation which meant that players got smaller amounts of playing time.
Broadcasting career
Brown then turned back to the broadcasting booth. Following his dismissal from the Knicks CBS hired Brown as a broadcaster in 1987, and served alongside Verne LundquistVerne Lundquist
Merton Laverne "Verne" Lundquist, Jr. is an American sportscaster, currently employed by CBS Sports television.-Early life and career:Lundquist was born in Duluth, Minnesota...
as the third team during select regular season and playoff games. Before that, while still Knicks head coach Brown was paired with Brent Musburger
Brent Musburger
Brent Woody Musburger is an American sportscaster for the ESPN and ABC television networks. Formerly with CBS Sports and one of the original members of their legendary program The NFL Today, Musburger has covered NASCAR, NBA, MLB, NCAA football and basketball games. Musburger has also served as a...
during the 1985 NBA Playoffs
1985 NBA Playoffs
The 1985 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1984-85 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics, four games to two, in the NBA Finals...
. In 1988
1988-89 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers*Rookie of the Year: Mitch Richmond, Golden State Warriors*Defensive Player of the Year: Mark Eaton, Utah Jazz...
, CBS named Brown to replace Billy Cunningham
Billy Cunningham
William John "Billy" Cunningham is an American former professional basketball player and coach, who was nicknamed the Kangaroo Kid.- Beginnings :...
as its lead analyst alongside play-by-play man Dick Stockton
Dick Stockton
Dick Stockton is an American sportscaster. He is currently employed by Fox Sports and Turner Sports as a football, baseball, and basketball play-by-play announcer.-Early life and career:...
. Brown remained with CBS until the end of their NBA coverage following the 1990 NBA Finals
1990 NBA Finals
The 1990 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1989-90 NBA season. The series pitted the Detroit Pistons against the Portland Trail Blazers...
, then worked on the local broadcasts for the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
and the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
before joining TNT in the early 1990s. Brown continued anchoring TNT's basketball coverage through the 2001-02 season
2001-02 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-Yearly awards:*Most Valuable Player: Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs*Rookie of the Year: Pau Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies*Defensive Player of the Year: Ben Wallace, Detroit Pistons...
, in which he was paired with various announcers such as Bob Neal
Bob Neal (Atlanta sportscaster)
Bob Neal is an American sportscaster. Currently, he can be seen as anchor of SportsNite, a daily sports show on Comcast Sports Southeast, serving thirteen southern states...
, Ron Thulin, Pete Van Wieren
Pete Van Wieren
Pete van Wieren is a former American sportscaster best known for his long career calling play-by-play for Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves.-Atlanta Braves:...
, and his old CBS partners Verne Lundquist and Dick Stockton.
Shortly after his departure from the Grizzlies, Brown signed with ABC as their top NBA analyst. Brown worked with Al Michaels
Al Michaels
Alan Richard "Al" Michaels is an American television sportscaster. Now employed by NBC Sports after nearly three decades with ABC Sports, Michaels is one of the most prominent members of his profession...
and Mike Breen
Mike Breen
Michael "Mike" Breen is a play-by-play commentator for the NBA on ABC and the lead commentator for New York Knicks games on the MSG network...
on some regular-season and playoff games, including the 2005 NBA Finals
2005 NBA Finals
The 2005 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2004-05 National Basketball Association season. The San Antonio Spurs of the Western Conference faced the Detroit Pistons of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Spurs holding home court advantage. The series was played under a...
and 2006 NBA Finals
2006 NBA Finals
The 2006 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2005–06 National Basketball Association season. The Miami Heat won the championship in six games over the Dallas Mavericks, winning the final game at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, and becoming the third team to win a championship...
, before he was replaced as lead analyst by Mark Jackson
Mark Jackson (basketball)
Mark A. Jackson is a retired American professional basketball player and the current head coach of the Golden State Warriors. He played point guard for the New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, and Houston Rockets in the NBA in a career...
and Jeff Van Gundy
Jeff Van Gundy
Jeffrey William "Jeff" Van Gundy is a former American basketball head coach. He coached most recently with the National Basketball Association's Houston Rockets...
. Brown currently calls games on ABC and ESPN alongside Mike Tirico
Mike Tirico
Michael Todd Tirico is an announcer for ESPN's presentation of Monday Night Football, and second lead broadcaster for ESPN's presentation of the NBA. In addition, Tirico hosts a multitude of programming on ESPN/ABC. He was the host of ABC's golf coverage from 1996 to 2007, and continues in that...
and also contributes to ESPN Radio
NBA on ESPN Radio
The NBA on ESPN Radio is a broadcast of National Basketball Association games on the ESPN Radio network. Games on ESPN Radio are distributed on over 200 radio stations in the United States and Canada. The program began on January 21, 1996 and the current contract runs through the 2015-2016 season...
's coverage of the NBA playoffs and NBA Finals
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
.
NBA
|-| align="left" |ATL
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
| align="left" |
|82||31||51||.378|| align="center" |6th in Central||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |ATL
| align="left" |
|82||41||41||.500|| align="center" |4th in Central||2||0||2||.000
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
1978 NBA Playoffs
The 1978 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1977-1978 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Washington Bullets defeating the Western Conference champion Seattle SuperSonics four games to three in the Finals. Wes...
|-
| align="left" |ATL
| align="left" |
|82||46||36||.561|| align="center" |3rd in Central||9||5||4||.556
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
1979 NBA Playoffs
The 1979 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1978-1979 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Seattle SuperSonics defeating the Eastern Conference champion Washington Bullets four games to one in the Finals. The Sonics...
|-
| align="left" |ATL
| align="left" |
|82||50||32||.610|| align="center" |1st in Central||5||1||4||.200
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
1980 NBA Playoffs
The 1980 NBA Playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1979-1980 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers four games to two in the Finals...
|-
| align="left" |ATL
| align="left" |
|79||31||48||.392|| align="center" |(fired)||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |—
|-
| align="left" |NYK
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
| align="left" |
|82||44||38||.537|| align="center" |4th in Atlantic||6||2||4||.333
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
1983 NBA Playoffs
The 1983 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1982-1983 season. This was the final postseason using the 12-team format, before the NBA expanded the postseason to 16 teams the next season...
|-
| align="left" |NYK
| align="left" |
|82||47||35||.573|| align="center" |3rd in Atlantic||12||6||6||.500
| align="center" |Lost in Conf. Semifinals
1984 NBA Playoffs
The 1984 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1983-84 season. This was the first postseason allowing sixteen teams to qualify, a format that is still in use as of 2011...
|-
| align="left" |NYK
| align="left" |
|82||24||58||.293|| align="center" |5th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |NYK
| align="left" |
|82||23||59||.280|| align="center" |5th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |NYK
| align="left" |
|16||4||12||.250|| align="center" |(fired)||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |—
|-
| align="left" |MEM
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
| align="left" |
|74||28||46||.378|| align="center" |6th in Midwest||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |MEM
| align="left" |
|82||50||32||.610|| align="center" |4th in Midwest||4||0||4||.000
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
2004 NBA Playoffs
The 2004 NBA Playoffs were the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2003–04 season. Consisting of 16 teams in two conferences, the playoffs involved about two months of play. The playoffs were conducted in seven-game series, with the team with the better record holding home court...
|-
| align="left" |MEM
| align="left" |
|12||5||7||.417|| align="center" |(resigned)||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |—
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" |Career
| ||919||424||495||.461|| ||38||14||24||.368