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06-22-2006, 10:31 AM
NEW YORK -- Larry Brown was fired by the New York Knicks on Thursday and replaced as coach by president and general manager Isiah Thomas.
Larry Brown timeline
Years Team Record
'72-74 Carolina Cougars 104-64
'74-79 Denver Nuggets 251-134
'79-81 UCLA Bruins 42-17
'81-83 New Jersey Nets '91-67
'83-88 Kansas Jayhawks 135-44
'88-91 San Antonio Spurs 153-131
'91-93 Los Angeles Clippers 64-53
'93-97 Indiana Pacers 190-138
'97-03 Philadelphia 76ers 255-205
'03-05 Detroit Pistons 108-56
'05-06 New York Knicks 23-59
In Brown's one 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.
Brown endured a miserable season with the Knicks, squabbling with star guard Stephon Marbury and other players and missing three games in April because of illness. He had only one worse season as a coach, when he went 21-61 with the San Antonio Spurs in 1988-89.
His coaching status had been in limbo for months, and reports surfaced in May that owner James Dolan was looking to buy out Brown's contract. It was at about that time that Brown called himself a "dead man walking" because of the uncertainty.
The Hall of Fame coach signed a five-year deal with the Knicks before last season worth a reported $50 million.
The Knicks told Brown they are not going to pay him the full $40 million left on his deal, the New York Daily News reported. Sources told the paper that the Knicks are going to allow NBA commissioner David Stern to arbitrate what compensation is owed to the Hall of Fame coach.
Brown's worst seasons as NBA coach
Team Record Season w/team Next season with team
'88-89 Spurs 21-61 First 56-26*
'05-06 Knicks 23-59 First Fired
'97-98 76ers 31-51 First 28-22*
*Made playoffs
Brown, a Brooklyn native, described his hiring last year as a "dream job," and the Knicks hoped his homecoming would lead to a long-awaited return to the playoffs. But despite a league-high payroll of more than $120 million, New York struggled throughout the season.
"No one in our organization is happy with last season and we all accept responsibility for our performance," Thomas said in a statement released by the Knicks. "This has been a difficult time for the entire organization and our fans.
"Larry Brown is a great coach, but for various reasons, bringing him to the Knicks did not turn out the way we had hoped and we wish him the best in the future."
Thomas joined the Knicks as president and GM in December 2003. He was coach of the Indiana Pacers for three seasons through 2002-03, compiling a 131-115 record.
Isiah Thomas Coaching Record
Season Team Record Playoffs
'00-01 Pacers 41-41 1-3
'01-02 Pacers 42-40 2-3
'02-03 Pacers 48-34 2-4
TOTAL 131-115 5-10
Brown coached the Detroit Pistons to the NBA title in the 2003-04 season. He missed 17 games the following year with the Pistons because of hip replacement surgery. That led to a bladder problem that required surgery in November. He had offseason surgery to address the problem.
"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. "Sometimes decisions work and sometimes they don't."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Larry Brown timeline
Years Team Record
'72-74 Carolina Cougars 104-64
'74-79 Denver Nuggets 251-134
'79-81 UCLA Bruins 42-17
'81-83 New Jersey Nets '91-67
'83-88 Kansas Jayhawks 135-44
'88-91 San Antonio Spurs 153-131
'91-93 Los Angeles Clippers 64-53
'93-97 Indiana Pacers 190-138
'97-03 Philadelphia 76ers 255-205
'03-05 Detroit Pistons 108-56
'05-06 New York Knicks 23-59
In Brown's one 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.
Brown endured a miserable season with the Knicks, squabbling with star guard Stephon Marbury and other players and missing three games in April because of illness. He had only one worse season as a coach, when he went 21-61 with the San Antonio Spurs in 1988-89.
His coaching status had been in limbo for months, and reports surfaced in May that owner James Dolan was looking to buy out Brown's contract. It was at about that time that Brown called himself a "dead man walking" because of the uncertainty.
The Hall of Fame coach signed a five-year deal with the Knicks before last season worth a reported $50 million.
The Knicks told Brown they are not going to pay him the full $40 million left on his deal, the New York Daily News reported. Sources told the paper that the Knicks are going to allow NBA commissioner David Stern to arbitrate what compensation is owed to the Hall of Fame coach.
Brown's worst seasons as NBA coach
Team Record Season w/team Next season with team
'88-89 Spurs 21-61 First 56-26*
'05-06 Knicks 23-59 First Fired
'97-98 76ers 31-51 First 28-22*
*Made playoffs
Brown, a Brooklyn native, described his hiring last year as a "dream job," and the Knicks hoped his homecoming would lead to a long-awaited return to the playoffs. But despite a league-high payroll of more than $120 million, New York struggled throughout the season.
"No one in our organization is happy with last season and we all accept responsibility for our performance," Thomas said in a statement released by the Knicks. "This has been a difficult time for the entire organization and our fans.
"Larry Brown is a great coach, but for various reasons, bringing him to the Knicks did not turn out the way we had hoped and we wish him the best in the future."
Thomas joined the Knicks as president and GM in December 2003. He was coach of the Indiana Pacers for three seasons through 2002-03, compiling a 131-115 record.
Isiah Thomas Coaching Record
Season Team Record Playoffs
'00-01 Pacers 41-41 1-3
'01-02 Pacers 42-40 2-3
'02-03 Pacers 48-34 2-4
TOTAL 131-115 5-10
Brown coached the Detroit Pistons to the NBA title in the 2003-04 season. He missed 17 games the following year with the Pistons because of hip replacement surgery. That led to a bladder problem that required surgery in November. He had offseason surgery to address the problem.
"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. "Sometimes decisions work and sometimes they don't."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.