Knicks fire Brown
Larry Brown is no longer the NBA’s dead man walking. His “dream job” as coach of the New York Knicks is over, ending what may have been the most drawn-out firing in sports history.
Now Isiah Thomas gets the job of coaching the overpriced, underachieving roster he created.
The Knicks put Brown out of his coaching misery Thursday, ending weeks of uncertainty by firing the Hall of Fame coach and replacing him with Thomas, the team president and general manager.
Brown has four years and a reported $40 million left on his deal, but may have to fight to see all of it. The Knicks are expected to claim they’re not obligated to pay the full contract.
“I won’t discuss the contract terms with anybody,” said Joe Glass, Brown’s longtime agent.
In Brown’s lone season in New York, the Knicks stumbled to a 23-59 record – second worst in the NBA and matching the most losses in club history. But Brown’s public feud with Stephon Marbury and criticism of other players may have angered owner James Dolan more than the losing.
“Larry has had a long and storied career. We hired him last summer with the expectation that he would be with the Knicks for a long time,” Dolan said in a statement. “Sometimes decisions work and sometimes they don’t.
“After careful consideration, despite the best intentions from everyone involved, this current structure did not work for us last season and I did not think it was going to improve.”
The day after the season ended, Thomas said Brown would return next season. But less than a month later, reports surfaced that Dolan was looking to buy out Brown’s contract.
Clean start for Nowitzki
Don’t worry Dallas fans: Dirk Nowitzki was bored, not despondent, when he took a razor to his head the day after the NBA finals.
“It’s summertime,” Nowitzki said, showing off a clean-shaven face and head. “Sitting home yesterday, I was disappointed, obviously, frustrated. I had to do something.”
The business of the off-season begins next week with the draft, then the start of free agency. Jason Terry is the marquee Mavericks player on the market and he continued saying how much he’d like to remain in Dallas. Johnson and entrenched teammates Nowitzki and Josh Howard all said how much they hope Terry returns.
Jordan gets to work
Michael Jordan went to work for the Charlotte Bobcats, overseeing a predraft workout as part-owner of the team.
Jordan, who’s been given decision-making power on personnel decisions, helped conduct on-court drills during most of the workout. He retreated to a balcony overlooking the practice court by the time reporters were allowed in and declined to speak to the media.
Jordan hasn’t worked in the NBA since he was fired as the Washington Wizards’ president of basketball operations in 2003.
Around the league
Milwaukee signed former Montana coach Larry Krystkowiak to a multiyear contract as an assistant coach, general manager Larry Harris said. … Toronto hired Maurizio Gherardini, who built one of the most successful professional basketball teams in Europe, as the club’s vice president and assistant general manager. The Italian Gherardini becomes the first European to hold a senior management position with an NBA franchise.