Larry taking Tar Heel crew to NY?
Larry Brown's introduction to his eighth NBA head coaching job -- this one with the New York Knicks -- is expected to come any day now.
To me, this guy's got a lot of questions ahead of him, and plenty trailing behind him, too. Going forward, there's the question of the 64-year-old coach's health. Does he have the ability and willingness to put up with NY's fan & media circus while resurrecting the beleaguered Knicks franchise? If so, for more than a year or two before burnout or boredom ... or blazed bridges with management? Will he get paid over $60 mil, double Phil Jackson money? And folks with UNC ties are probably wondering if Brown will be able to secure jobs in the Big Apple for former Tar Heel assistants Phil Ford, Dave Hanners and Pat Sullivan. They worked for him in Detroit, and he was reportedly trying to get them work in Cleveland.
About Cleveland. That remains the big source of angst looking back. Why did he actively flirt with the Cavaliers during the Pistons' playoff run? How much respect did he lose among his players and how much did he torch relations with his bosses? With the success he was having in Detroit, why did his tenure there go all to hell?
I'm in the camp that believes Brown's a brilliant coach. But if I'm an NBA owner, I think I might just run the other way when I see him coming. What a paradoxical character. Listen in tomorrow to our Radio Free Sports podcast (should be up at our Web site after noon) to hear more discussion on the nomadic coach.
