Larry Brown (basketball)
Encyclopedia
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" Brown (born September 14, 1940) is an American basketball coach and former player. He most recently served as head coach of the National Basketball Association
's Charlotte Bobcats
.
He has been a college and professional basketball
coach since 1975. He has won over 1,000 professional games in the ABA
and the NBA
and is the only coach in NBA history to lead eight different teams to the playoffs. He is also the only person ever to coach two NBA franchises in the same season (San Antonio Spurs
and Los Angeles Clippers
during the 1991-92 NBA season
). He is 1,275–965 in his career. He is also the only coach in history to win both an NCAA National Championship (Kansas 1988) and an NBA Championship (Detroit 2004).
Brown was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame
as a coach on September 27, 2002 and is widely considered one of the greatest coaches in basketball history.
, New York. A 5 in 9 in (1.75 m) point guard
, he attended Long Beach High School and then played at the University of North Carolina
under legendary coaches Frank McGuire
and Dean Smith
after playing high school
basketball in New York. A stellar player for the Tar Heels in the early 1960s, Brown was considered too small to play in the NBA and so began his professional career with the NABL's Akron Wingfoots
, where he played for two years (1964–65). During that time Brown was selected for the 1964 Summer Olympics
team, which he played on and which won a gold medal, while leading the Wingfoots to the 1964 AAU National Championship.
After a brief stint as an assistant coach at North Carolina, Brown joined the upstart American Basketball Association
, playing with the New Orleans Buccaneers
(1967–68), Oakland Oaks
(1968–69), Washington Caps (1969–70), Virginia Squires
(1970–71), and Denver Rockets (1971–72). Brown was named MVP of the ABA's first All-Star Game
in 1968, and was named to the All-ABA Second Team the same year. Brown led the ABA in assists per game during the league's first three seasons, and when he ended his playing career, Brown was the ABA's all-time assist leader. His total of 2509 assists places him 7th on the ABA's career list, and he holds the ABA record for assists in a game with 23.
in North Carolina. Unfortunately for Wildcat fans, it would only last during the summer offseason and he never coached a game. That one month experience would be a harbinger to Brown's nomadic coaching career.
Brown moved on to the ABA and coached with the Carolina Cougars
and then the Denver Nuggets
, who later joined the NBA in 1976, for five and a half seasons from 1974 to 1979. He then moved on to coach for UCLA
(1979–1981), leading his freshman-dominated 1979–80 team to the NCAA title game before falling to Louisville
, 59–54. However, that appearance was later vacated by the NCAA after two players were found to be ineligible—one of the few times a Final Four squad has had its record vacated.
After two years with the NBA's New Jersey Nets
, Brown began his tenure at the University of Kansas
(1983–1988). There he was named "Coach of the Year" for the NCAA in 1988 and "Coach of the Year" for the Big Eight Conference
in 1986. Kansas finished first in the Big Eight in 1986, and second in 1984, 1985, and 1987. In 1988, Kansas got off to a mediocre 12–8 start, including 1–4 in the Big 8, and the end of the Jayhawks' 55-game homecourt winning streak in Allen Fieldhouse
. Ultimately, behind the high-scoring of Danny Manning
, KU finished 27–11 and won the national championship
in 1988, defeating favored conference rival Oklahoma
83–79 in the final. Upon leaving Kansas, Brown had five NCAA Tournament appearances, three Sweet 16 appearances, and two trips to the Final Four. As a collegiate coach, he had a cumulative coaching record of 177–61 (.744) in seven seasons, including a 135–44 (.754) record at Kansas. However, he left under a cloud, as NCAA sanctions were levied against Kansas in the 1988–1989 season as a result of recruiting violations that took place during Brown's tenure. Among them, Kansas was banned from the 1989 NCAA Tournament—the only time a reigning champion has been banned from defending its title.
Brown moved back to the NBA after his time in Kansas, taking the head coaching job with the San Antonio Spurs
, and has since led the Los Angeles Clippers
, Indiana Pacers
, Philadelphia 76ers
(where he won the NBA coach of the year award), Detroit Pistons
, New York Knicks
, and the Charlotte Bobcats
. The coach won his first NBA Championship during his first year with the Detroit Pistons
in 2004, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers
four games to one in the NBA Finals. By doing so, Brown became the first man to coach teams to both NCAA and NBA titles. Brown is also the only NBA coach to take two different teams (76ers and Pistons) to the NBA Finals against the same opponent (Los Angeles Lakers
in 2001 and 2004), lose the first time, and win the second.
Brown was also chosen as the head coach for the USA men's basketball team at the 2004 Summer Olympics
which earned a bronze medal, a major disappointment. Brown was heavily criticized for publicly berating the players, for repeatedly criticizing the roster chosen by the player selection committee, and for insisting on a style of play which minimized the United States' advantage in athleticism.
Though he has received criticism for never staying in any one place for very long, Brown is hailed as one of basketball's greatest teachers, and is well known for turning losers into winners. The Nets and the Clippers are not only the "second teams" in their metropolitan areas, but have long been regarded as laughingstock franchises. Prior to the 2001 arrival of Jason Kidd
, the Nets had made the playoffs in only 10 of their first 25 seasons in the NBA. Two of those 10 times were in 1982 and 1983, under Brown. The Clippers, in San Diego and Los Angeles combined, made the playoffs in only three of their first 27 seasons. Two of those three playoff appearances, in 1992 and 1993, were under Brown. Those were also the second and third of the three times the franchise had finished .500 or better since moving in 1978, after being the Buffalo Braves, until finishing over .500 and making the playoffs in 2006. The Spurs had been an NBA power for most of the 1980s, but faltered for several years after the departure of George Gervin
before crashing to the worst record in the league in 1988–89, Brown's first season. In his second season, however, the Spurs made the biggest single-season improvement in NBA history at the time, leaping all the way to a division title. The Pacers had been an also-ran for most of the time since coming from the ABA, with only three winning seasons in their first 18 years in the league. However, Brown led them to their first two finishes better than two games over .500, as well as their first division title as an NBA team. In the NCAA, Kansas had suffered back-to-back losing seasons in 1982 and 1983 under former coach Ted Owens
before Brown brought the Jayhawks back into the national spotlight.
In 2005, Allen Iverson
, who frequently clashed with Brown in Philadelphia, said that he was without a doubt "the best coach in the world".
Despite Brown's prowess in coaching and handling different egos and personalities, Brown has often been questioned for not playing rookies. He is also known for being hard on his point guards.
Brown has also drawn criticism for searching publicly for other jobs while still employed. This happened most recently in May 2005, when rumors surfaced that Brown would become the Cleveland Cavaliers
' team president as soon as the Detroit Pistons
finished their postseason
. The rumor, which was not dispelled by Brown, became a major distraction as the Pistons lost to the San Antonio Spurs
in seven games in the 2005 NBA Finals
.
On July 19, 2005, the Pistons, displeased with Brown's public flirtations with other teams, bought out the remaining years of Brown's contract, allowing him to sign with another team. A week later, on July 28, Brown became the head coach of the New York Knicks
, with a 5-year contract reportedly worth between $
50 million and $60 million, making him the highest-paid coach in NBA history.
On January 13, 2006, the Knicks beat the Atlanta Hawks
to give Brown his 1,000th win in the NBA, becoming only the 4th coach to do so joining the ranks of Lenny Wilkens
, Don Nelson
and Pat Riley
. Coincidentally, all four of these coaches have served as head coach for the Knicks at one point in their career.
Brown's tenure as Knicks head coach lasted one season, as the team fired him on June 23, 2006 after he led the team to a disastrous 23–59 record. Brown's season with the Knicks was marred with public feuds with his own players, most notably point guard Stephon Marbury
.
On April 29, 2008, Brown signed to become the head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats
– his ninth NBA coaching job. He managed to keep the relatively young team in playoff contention. The following season, Brown guided the Bobcats to the franchise's first-ever playoff appearance. Charlotte was the 8th different team he led to the postseason, an NBA record. On December 22, 2010, Brown parted ways with the Bobcats after the team went 9–19. His departure was officially characterized as a resignation, but other sources reported that Brown was fired. Assistant coach Jeff Capel II told The Charlotte Observer
that the entire coaching staff had been fired.
Brown's name has been mentioned on two occasions for the coaching job at his alma mater—in 2000 when Bill Guthridge
stepped down and in 2003 when Matt Doherty was forced out.
, was a player under legendary Kansas basketball coach Phog Allen
, who in turn was coached at Kansas by James Naismith
, the inventor of basketball.
Brown then became head coach of Kansas himself and upon departure was replaced by UNC alum Roy Williams
, who later returned to coach at UNC. Current Kansas head coach Bill Self
served as a graduate assistant under Brown at Kansas during the 1985–1986 season which saw Kansas set a then-record for wins in a single season and the Jayhawks first trip to the Final Four in 12 years. Also, current University of Kentucky
head coach John Calipari
was an assistant under Brown at Kansas. Former Kansas players Mark Turgeon
and Tad Boyle
of the University of Maryland and Colorado respectively played for Brown at Kansas and coach in the Big 12 Conference
along with Self.
| style="text-align:left;"|CAR
(ABA
)
| style="text-align:left;"|1972–73
|84||57||27||.679|| style="text-align:center;"|1st in East||12||7||5||.583
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in Division Finals
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|CAR (ABA
)
| style="text-align:left;"|1973–74
|84||47||37||.560|| style="text-align:center;"|3rd in East||4||0||4||.000
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in Division Semifinals
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|DEN
(ABA
)
| style="text-align:left;"|1974–75
|84||65||19||.774|| style="text-align:center;"|1st in West||13||7||6||.538
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in Division Finals
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|DEN (ABA
)
| style="text-align:left;"|1975–76
|84||60||24||.714|| style="text-align:center;"|1st in West||13||6||7||.462
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in ABA Finals
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|DEN
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||50||32||.610|| style="text-align:center;"|1st in Midwest||6||2||4||.333
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in Conf. Semifinals
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|DEN
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||48||34||.585|| style="text-align:center;"|1st in Midwest||13||6||7||.462
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in Conf. Finals
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|DEN
| style="text-align:left;"|
|53||28||25||.528|| style="text-align:center;"|—||—||—||—||—
| style="text-align:center;"|—
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|NJN
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||44||38||.537|| style="text-align:center;"|3rd in Atlantic||2||0||2||.000
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in First Round
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|NJN
| style="text-align:left;"|
|76||47||29||.537|| style="text-align:center;"|—||—||—||—||—
| style="text-align:center;"|—
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|SAS
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||21||61||.256|| style="text-align:center;"|5th in Midwest||—||—||—||—
| style="text-align:center;"|Missed Playoffs
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|SAS
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||56||26||.683|| style="text-align:center;"|1st in Midwest||10||6||4||.600
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in Conf. Semifinals
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|SAS
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||55||27||.671|| style="text-align:center;"|1st in Midwest||4||1||3||.250
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in First Round
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|SAS
| style="text-align:left;"|
|38||21||17||.553|| style="text-align:center;"|—||—||—||—||—
| style="text-align:center;"|—
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|LAC
| style="text-align:left;"|
|35||23||12||.657|| style="text-align:center;"|5th in Pacific||5||2||3||.400
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in First Round
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|LAC
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||41||41||.500|| style="text-align:center;"|5th in Pacific||5||2||3||.400
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in First Round
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|IND
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||47||35||.573|| style="text-align:center;"|4th in Central||16||10||6||.625
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in Conf. Finals
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|IND
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||52||30||.634|| style="text-align:center;"|1st in Central||17||10||7||.588
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in Conf. Finals
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|IND
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||52||30||.634|| style="text-align:center;"|2nd in Central||5||2||3||.400
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in First Round
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|IND
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||39||43||.476|| style="text-align:center;"|6th in Central||—||—||—||—
| style="text-align:center;"|Missed Playoffs
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|PHI
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||31||51||.378|| style="text-align:center;"|7th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—
| style="text-align:center;"|Missed Playoffs
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|PHI
| style="text-align:left;"|
|50||28||22||.560|| style="text-align:center;"|3rd in Atlantic||8||3||5||.375
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in Conf. Semifinals
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|PHI
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||49||33||.598|| style="text-align:center;"|3rd in Atlantic||10||5||5||.500
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in Conf. Semifinals
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|PHI
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||56||26||.683|| style="text-align:center;"|1st in Atlantic||23||12||11||.522
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in NBA Finals
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|PHI
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||43||39||.524|| style="text-align:center;"|4th in Atlantic||5||2||3||.400
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in First Round
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|PHI
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||48||34||.585|| style="text-align:center;"|2nd in Atlantic||12||6||6||.500
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in Conf. Semifinals
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|DET
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||54||28||.659|| style="text-align:center;"|2nd in Central||23||16||7||.696
| style="text-align:center;"|Won NBA Championship
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|DET
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||54||28||.659|| style="text-align:center;"|1st in Central||25||15||10||.600
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in NBA Finals
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|NYK
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||23||59||.280|| style="text-align:center;"|5th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—
| style="text-align:center;"|Missed Playoffs
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|CHA
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||35||47||.427|| style="text-align:center;"|4th in Southeast||—||—||—||—
| style="text-align:center;"|Missed Playoffs
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|CHA
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||44||38||.537|| style="text-align:center;"|3rd in Southeast||4||0||4||.000
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in First Round
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|CHA
| style="text-align:left;"|
|28||9||19||.321|| style="text-align:center;"|—||—||—||—||—
| style="text-align:center;"|—
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:left;"|NBA Career
| ||2002||1098||904||.548|| ||193||100||93||.518
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:left;"|ABA Career
| ||336||229||107||.682|| ||42||20||22||.476
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:left;"|Career Total
| ||2338||1327||1011||.568|| ||235||120||115||.511
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...
's Charlotte Bobcats
Charlotte Bobcats
The Charlotte Bobcats is a professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association. The Bobcats were established in 2004 as an expansion team, two seasons after Charlotte's previous NBA...
.
He has been a college and professional 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 since 1975. He has won over 1,000 professional games in the ABA
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:...
and 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...
and is the only coach in NBA history to lead eight different teams to the playoffs. He is also the only person ever to coach two NBA franchises in the same season (San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
and Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
during the 1991-92 NBA season
1991-92 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls*Rookie of the Year: Larry Johnson, Charlotte Hornets*Defensive Player of the Year: David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs...
). He is 1,275–965 in his career. He is also the only coach in history to win both an NCAA National Championship (Kansas 1988) and an NBA Championship (Detroit 2004).
Brown was enshrined in 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...
as a coach on September 27, 2002 and is widely considered one of the greatest coaches in basketball history.
Player
Brown is Jewish, and was born in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York. A 5 in 9 in (1.75 m) point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
, he attended Long Beach High School and then played at the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
under legendary coaches Frank McGuire
Frank McGuire
Frank Joseph McGuire was an American athletic coach who gained his greatest renown in collegiate basketball....
and Dean Smith
Dean Smith
Dean Edwards Smith is a retired American head coach of men's college basketball. Originally from Emporia, Kansas, Smith has been called a “coaching legend” by the Basketball Hall of Fame. Smith is best known for his successful 36-year coaching tenure at the University of North Carolina at Chapel...
after playing high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
basketball in New York. A stellar player for the Tar Heels in the early 1960s, Brown was considered too small to play in the NBA and so began his professional career with the NABL's Akron Wingfoots
Akron Wingfoots
The Akron Wingfoots are one of the oldest basketball teams in the United States. They were founded in 1918 by the workers at the Goodyear Tire Company in Akron, Ohio...
, where he played for two years (1964–65). During that time Brown was selected for the 1964 Summer Olympics
1964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
team, which he played on and which won a gold medal, while leading the Wingfoots to the 1964 AAU National Championship.
After a brief stint as an assistant coach at North Carolina, Brown joined the upstart 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:...
, playing with the New Orleans Buccaneers
New Orleans Buccaneers
New Orleans Buccaneers was a charter member of the American Basketball Association. After three seasons in New Orleans, Louisiana the franchise moved to Memphis, Tennessee where it became the Pros, Tams and Sounds for four years before an abortive move to Baltimore in 1975.-Origins:With the...
(1967–68), Oakland Oaks
Oakland Oaks (ABA)
The Oakland Oaks were a charter member of the original American Basketball Association. Formed in February 1967 as the Oakland Americans, the team changed its name to the Oaks prior to play that fall. Playing in the ABA during the 1967-68 and 1968-69 seasons, the team colors were green and gold.The...
(1968–69), Washington Caps (1969–70), Virginia Squires
Virginia Squires
The Virginia Squires were a basketball franchise in the former American Basketball Association from 1970 until just before the ABA-NBA merger in 1976.-In Oakland :...
(1970–71), and Denver Rockets (1971–72). Brown was named MVP of the ABA's first All-Star Game
1968 ABA All-Star Game
GAME 1: at Indianapolis, Indiana, January 9, 1968MVP: Larry Brown, New Orleans BuccaneersCoaches:* East: Jim Pollard, Minnesota Muskies* West: Babe McCarthy, New Orleans Buccaneers-Western Conference: -Eastern Conference: -Score by Periods:...
in 1968, and was named to the All-ABA Second Team the same year. Brown led the ABA in assists per game during the league's first three seasons, and when he ended his playing career, Brown was the ABA's all-time assist leader. His total of 2509 assists places him 7th on the ABA's career list, and he holds the ABA record for assists in a game with 23.
As a coach
Brown's first head coaching job was at Davidson CollegeDavidson Wildcats men's basketball
The Davidson Wildcats basketball team is the basketball team that represents Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina, in the NCAA Division I. The school's team currently competes in the Southern Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2008. The...
in North Carolina. Unfortunately for Wildcat fans, it would only last during the summer offseason and he never coached a game. That one month experience would be a harbinger to Brown's nomadic coaching career.
Brown moved on to the ABA and coached with the Carolina Cougars
Carolina Cougars
Carolina Cougars was a basketball franchise in the former American Basketball Association that existed from late 1969 through 1974. The Cougars were originally a charter member of the ABA as the Houston Mavericks in 1967. The Mavericks moved to North Carolina in late 1969 after two unsuccessful...
and then the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
, who later joined the NBA in 1976, for five and a half seasons from 1974 to 1979. He then moved on to coach for UCLA
UCLA Bruins men's basketball
The UCLA Bruins men's basketball program, established in 1920, owns a record 11 Division I NCAA championships. UCLA teams coached by John Wooden won 10 national titles in 12 seasons from 1964 to 1975, including 7 straight from 1967 to 1973. UCLA went undefeated a record 4 times, in 1964, 1967,...
(1979–1981), leading his freshman-dominated 1979–80 team to the NCAA title game before falling to Louisville
Louisville Cardinals men's basketball
The Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team is the 18th winningest college basketball team in NCAA Division I history and has the 10th best winning percentage in college basketball history. Currently coached by Rick Pitino, the Cardinals of the University of Louisville have been to 37 NCAA...
, 59–54. However, that appearance was later vacated by the NCAA after two players were found to be ineligible—one of the few times a Final Four squad has had its record vacated.
After two years with the NBA's New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, Brown began his tenure at the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
(1983–1988). There he was named "Coach of the Year" for the NCAA in 1988 and "Coach of the Year" for the Big Eight Conference
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
in 1986. Kansas finished first in the Big Eight in 1986, and second in 1984, 1985, and 1987. In 1988, Kansas got off to a mediocre 12–8 start, including 1–4 in the Big 8, and the end of the Jayhawks' 55-game homecourt winning streak in Allen Fieldhouse
Allen Fieldhouse
Allen Fieldhouse is an indoor arena at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. The arena, named in honor of Dr. Forrest C. "Phog" Allen, who coached the university's men's basketball team for 39 years, is one of college basketball's most historically significant and prestigious buildings...
. Ultimately, behind the high-scoring of Danny Manning
Danny Manning
Daniel Ricardo "Danny" Manning is a retired American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association. He is an assistant basketball coach at his alma mater, the University of Kansas Jayhawks. Manning won the National Championship with the Jayhawks in 1988 as a player, and...
, KU finished 27–11 and won the national championship
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
in 1988, defeating favored conference rival Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
83–79 in the final. Upon leaving Kansas, Brown had five NCAA Tournament appearances, three Sweet 16 appearances, and two trips to the Final Four. As a collegiate coach, he had a cumulative coaching record of 177–61 (.744) in seven seasons, including a 135–44 (.754) record at Kansas. However, he left under a cloud, as NCAA sanctions were levied against Kansas in the 1988–1989 season as a result of recruiting violations that took place during Brown's tenure. Among them, Kansas was banned from the 1989 NCAA Tournament—the only time a reigning champion has been banned from defending its title.
Brown moved back to the NBA after his time in Kansas, taking the head coaching job with the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
, and has since led the Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
, Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
, 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...
(where he won the NBA coach of the year award), 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...
, 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...
, and the Charlotte Bobcats
Charlotte Bobcats
The Charlotte Bobcats is a professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association. The Bobcats were established in 2004 as an expansion team, two seasons after Charlotte's previous NBA...
. The coach won his first NBA Championship during his first year with 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...
in 2004, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
four games to one in the NBA Finals. By doing so, Brown became the first man to coach teams to both NCAA and NBA titles. Brown is also the only NBA coach to take two different teams (76ers and Pistons) to the NBA Finals against the same opponent (Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in 2001 and 2004), lose the first time, and win the second.
Brown was also chosen as the head coach for the USA men's basketball team at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
which earned a bronze medal, a major disappointment. Brown was heavily criticized for publicly berating the players, for repeatedly criticizing the roster chosen by the player selection committee, and for insisting on a style of play which minimized the United States' advantage in athleticism.
Though he has received criticism for never staying in any one place for very long, Brown is hailed as one of basketball's greatest teachers, and is well known for turning losers into winners. The Nets and the Clippers are not only the "second teams" in their metropolitan areas, but have long been regarded as laughingstock franchises. Prior to the 2001 arrival of Jason Kidd
Jason Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd is an American professional basketball point guard who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. Raised in Oakland, California, Kidd played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley and was drafted second overall by the Dallas...
, the Nets had made the playoffs in only 10 of their first 25 seasons in the NBA. Two of those 10 times were in 1982 and 1983, under Brown. The Clippers, in San Diego and Los Angeles combined, made the playoffs in only three of their first 27 seasons. Two of those three playoff appearances, in 1992 and 1993, were under Brown. Those were also the second and third of the three times the franchise had finished .500 or better since moving in 1978, after being the Buffalo Braves, until finishing over .500 and making the playoffs in 2006. The Spurs had been an NBA power for most of the 1980s, but faltered for several years after the departure of George Gervin
George Gervin
George "The Iceman" Gervin is a retired American professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association for the Virginia Squires, San Antonio Spurs, and Chicago Bulls...
before crashing to the worst record in the league in 1988–89, Brown's first season. In his second season, however, the Spurs made the biggest single-season improvement in NBA history at the time, leaping all the way to a division title. The Pacers had been an also-ran for most of the time since coming from the ABA, with only three winning seasons in their first 18 years in the league. However, Brown led them to their first two finishes better than two games over .500, as well as their first division title as an NBA team. In the NCAA, Kansas had suffered back-to-back losing seasons in 1982 and 1983 under former coach Ted Owens
Ted Owens (basketball coach)
Ted Owens is an American college basketball coach. He was the coach of the University of Kansas men's basketball team from 1964 to 1983. He is the third-winningest coach in Jayhawks basketball history....
before Brown brought the Jayhawks back into the national spotlight.
In 2005, Allen Iverson
Allen Iverson
Allen Ezail Iverson is an American professional basketball point guard and shooting guard. He was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the number one pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in the 1996–97 season...
, who frequently clashed with Brown in Philadelphia, said that he was without a doubt "the best coach in the world".
Despite Brown's prowess in coaching and handling different egos and personalities, Brown has often been questioned for not playing rookies. He is also known for being hard on his point guards.
Brown has also drawn criticism for searching publicly for other jobs while still employed. This happened most recently in May 2005, when rumors surfaced that Brown would become the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
' team president as soon as 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...
finished their postseason
2005 NBA Playoffs
The 2005 NBA Playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2004–05 season.The San Antonio Spurs, the number two ranked team in the Western Conference, won the 2005 NBA Playoffs by defeating the defending champions, the Detroit Pistons, 4-3 in the NBA Finals...
. The rumor, which was not dispelled by Brown, became a major distraction as the Pistons lost to the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
in seven games in 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...
.
On July 19, 2005, the Pistons, displeased with Brown's public flirtations with other teams, bought out the remaining years of Brown's contract, allowing him to sign with another team. A week later, on July 28, Brown became the head coach of 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...
, with a 5-year contract reportedly worth between $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
50 million and $60 million, making him the highest-paid coach in NBA history.
On January 13, 2006, the Knicks beat the Atlanta Hawks
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:...
to give Brown his 1,000th win in the NBA, becoming only the 4th coach to do so joining the ranks of Lenny Wilkens
Lenny Wilkens
Leonard Randolph "Lenny" Wilkens is a retired American basketball player and coach in the NBA...
, 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....
and Pat Riley
Pat Riley
Patrick James "Pat" Riley is an American professional basketball executive, and a retired coach and player in the NBA. Currently, he is team president of the Miami Heat. Widely regarded as one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time, Riley has served as the head coach of five championship teams...
. Coincidentally, all four of these coaches have served as head coach for the Knicks at one point in their career.
Brown's tenure as Knicks head coach lasted one season, as the team fired him on June 23, 2006 after he led the team to a disastrous 23–59 record. Brown's season with the Knicks was marred with public feuds with his own players, most notably point guard Stephon Marbury
Stephon Marbury
Stephon Xavier Marbury is an American professional basketball player.The , point guard was selected out of the Georgia Institute of Technology by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 4th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, but was traded shortly thereafter to the Minnesota Timberwolves.He was an NBA...
.
On April 29, 2008, Brown signed to become the head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats
Charlotte Bobcats
The Charlotte Bobcats is a professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association. The Bobcats were established in 2004 as an expansion team, two seasons after Charlotte's previous NBA...
– his ninth NBA coaching job. He managed to keep the relatively young team in playoff contention. The following season, Brown guided the Bobcats to the franchise's first-ever playoff appearance. Charlotte was the 8th different team he led to the postseason, an NBA record. On December 22, 2010, Brown parted ways with the Bobcats after the team went 9–19. His departure was officially characterized as a resignation, but other sources reported that Brown was fired. Assistant coach Jeff Capel II told The Charlotte Observer
The Charlotte Observer
The Charlotte Observer, serving Charlotte, North Carolina and its metro area, is the largest newspaper, in terms of circulation, in North Carolina and South Carolina...
that the entire coaching staff had been fired.
Brown's name has been mentioned on two occasions for the coaching job at his alma mater—in 2000 when Bill Guthridge
Bill Guthridge
Bill Guthridge is a retired American college basketball coach.Guthridge initially gained recognition after serving for 30 years as Dean Smith's assistant at the University of North Carolina. Following Dean Smith's retirement in 1997, Guthridge served as head coach of the Tar Heels for three seasons...
stepped down and in 2003 when Matt Doherty was forced out.
Coaching tree
Brown's collegiate coaching and playing stops have caused him to become intertwined in the Kansas/UNC coaching tree. Brown's college basketball coach when he played at UNC, Dean SmithDean Smith
Dean Edwards Smith is a retired American head coach of men's college basketball. Originally from Emporia, Kansas, Smith has been called a “coaching legend” by the Basketball Hall of Fame. Smith is best known for his successful 36-year coaching tenure at the University of North Carolina at Chapel...
, was a player under legendary Kansas basketball coach Phog Allen
Phog Allen
Forrest Clare "Phog" Allen was an American basketball and baseball player, coach of American football, basketball, and baseball, college athletics administrator, and osteopathic physician...
, who in turn was coached at Kansas by James Naismith
James Naismith
The first game of "Basket Ball" was played in December 1891. In a handwritten report, Naismith described the circumstances of the inaugural match; in contrast to modern basketball, the players played nine versus nine, handled a soccer ball, not a basketball, and instead of shooting at two hoops,...
, the inventor of basketball.
Brown then became head coach of Kansas himself and upon departure was replaced by UNC alum Roy Williams
Roy Williams (coach)
Roy Williams is head coach of the men's basketball team at the University of North Carolina. After averaging nearly an 80% win percentage in 15 seasons at the University of Kansas, he became the eighteenth head coach at North Carolina when he replaced Matt Doherty in 2003...
, who later returned to coach at UNC. Current Kansas head coach Bill Self
Bill Self
Bill Self is an American college men's basketball coach at the University of Kansas, where he led the Jayhawks to the 2008 NCAA national championship....
served as a graduate assistant under Brown at Kansas during the 1985–1986 season which saw Kansas set a then-record for wins in a single season and the Jayhawks first trip to the Final Four in 12 years. Also, current University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
head coach John Calipari
John Calipari
John Calipari is an American basketball coach. Since April 2009, he has been the men's head coach at the University of Kentucky....
was an assistant under Brown at Kansas. Former Kansas players Mark Turgeon
Mark Turgeon
Mark Leo Turgeon is an American college basketball coach. He is currently the head coach for the University of Maryland Terrapins. Turgeon previously served as head coach at Texas A&M for 4 years.-Personal:...
and Tad Boyle
Tad Boyle
Tad Boyle is an American college basketball coach and the current head men's basketball coach at the University of Colorado. He was named the 18th coach in University of Colorado men's basketball history on April 19, 2010...
of the University of Maryland and Colorado respectively played for Brown at Kansas and coach in the Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
along with Self.
NBA/ABA
|-| style="text-align:left;"|CAR
Carolina Cougars
Carolina Cougars was a basketball franchise in the former American Basketball Association that existed from late 1969 through 1974. The Cougars were originally a charter member of the ABA as the Houston Mavericks in 1967. The Mavericks moved to North Carolina in late 1969 after two unsuccessful...
(ABA
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:...
)
| style="text-align:left;"|1972–73
1972–73 ABA season
-Eastern Division:-Western Division:...
|84||57||27||.679|| style="text-align:center;"|1st in East||12||7||5||.583
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in Division Finals
1973 ABA Playoffs
The 1973 ABA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the American Basketball Association's 1972-1973 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Division champion Indiana Pacers defeating the Eastern Division champion Kentucky Colonels, four games to three in the ABA Finals.-Notable...
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|CAR (ABA
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:...
)
| style="text-align:left;"|1973–74
1973–74 ABA season
-Eastern Division:-Western Division:...
|84||47||37||.560|| style="text-align:center;"|3rd in East||4||0||4||.000
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in Division Semifinals
1974 ABA Playoffs
The 1974 ABA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the American Basketball Association's 1973-1974 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion New York Nets defeating the Western Division champion Utah Stars, four games to one in the ABA Finals.-Notable events:A one game...
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|DEN
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
(ABA
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:...
)
| style="text-align:left;"|1974–75
1974–75 ABA season
1974–75 ABA season was the eighth in the league's history. The Kentucky Colonels won the 1975 ABA Championship after winning the Eastern Division; the Denver Nuggets won the Western Division...
|84||65||19||.774|| style="text-align:center;"|1st in West||13||7||6||.538
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in Division Finals
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...
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|DEN (ABA
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:...
)
| style="text-align:left;"|1975–76
1975–76 ABA season
The 1975-76 American Basketball Association season was the 9th and last season for the ABA. The ABA changed from the 30 second shot clock to the 24 second shot clock to match the NBA....
|84||60||24||.714|| style="text-align:center;"|1st in West||13||6||7||.462
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in ABA Finals
1976 ABA Playoffs
The 1976 ABA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the American Basketball Association's 1975-1976 season. The tournament concluded with the New York Nets defeating the Denver Nuggets four games to two in the ABA Finals....
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|DEN
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||50||32||.610|| style="text-align:center;"|1st in Midwest||6||2||4||.333
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in Conf. Semifinals
1977 NBA Playoffs
The 1977 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1976-1977 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Portland Trail Blazers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia 76ers four games to two in the Finals. It was...
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|DEN
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||48||34||.585|| style="text-align:center;"|1st in Midwest||13||6||7||.462
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in Conf. Finals
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...
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|DEN
| style="text-align:left;"|
|53||28||25||.528|| style="text-align:center;"|—||—||—||—||—
| style="text-align:center;"|—
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|NJN
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||44||38||.537|| style="text-align:center;"|3rd in Atlantic||2||0||2||.000
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in First Round
1982 NBA Playoffs
The 1982 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1981-1982 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 NBA Finals...
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|NJN
| style="text-align:left;"|
|76||47||29||.537|| style="text-align:center;"|—||—||—||—||—
| style="text-align:center;"|—
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|SAS
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||21||61||.256|| style="text-align:center;"|5th in Midwest||—||—||—||—
| style="text-align:center;"|Missed Playoffs
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|SAS
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||56||26||.683|| style="text-align:center;"|1st in Midwest||10||6||4||.600
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in Conf. Semifinals
1990 NBA Playoffs
The 1990 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1989-1990 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons successfully defending their championship by beating the Western Conference champion Portland Trail Blazers...
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|SAS
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||55||27||.671|| style="text-align:center;"|1st in Midwest||4||1||3||.250
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in First Round
1991 NBA Playoffs
The 1991 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1990–91 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their first NBA championship via a four-games-to-one victory over the Western Conference champion Los...
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|SAS
| style="text-align:left;"|
|38||21||17||.553|| style="text-align:center;"|—||—||—||—||—
| style="text-align:center;"|—
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|LAC
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
| style="text-align:left;"|
|35||23||12||.657|| style="text-align:center;"|5th in Pacific||5||2||3||.400
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in First Round
1992 NBA Playoffs
NBA Champions: Chicago BullsThe 1992 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament following the National Basketball Association's 1991-1992 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their second consecutive NBA championship by defeating the Western...
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|LAC
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||41||41||.500|| style="text-align:center;"|5th in Pacific||5||2||3||.400
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in First Round
1993 NBA Playoffs
The 1993 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1992-1993 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their third consecutive championship by defeating the Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns four...
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|IND
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||47||35||.573|| style="text-align:center;"|4th in Central||16||10||6||.625
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in Conf. Finals
1994 NBA Playoffs
The 1994 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1993-94 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets defeating the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals...
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|IND
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||52||30||.634|| style="text-align:center;"|1st in Central||17||10||7||.588
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in Conf. Finals
1995 NBA Playoffs
The 1995 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1994-1995 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets winning their second consecutive NBA championship by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic...
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|IND
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||52||30||.634|| style="text-align:center;"|2nd in Central||5||2||3||.400
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in First Round
1996 NBA Playoffs
The 1996 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1995-1996 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their first NBA championship in three years by defeating the Western Conference champion Seattle...
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|IND
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||39||43||.476|| style="text-align:center;"|6th in Central||—||—||—||—
| style="text-align:center;"|Missed Playoffs
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|PHI
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...
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||31||51||.378|| style="text-align:center;"|7th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—
| style="text-align:center;"|Missed Playoffs
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|PHI
| style="text-align:left;"|
|50||28||22||.560|| style="text-align:center;"|3rd in Atlantic||8||3||5||.375
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in Conf. Semifinals
1999 NBA Playoffs
The 1999 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1998-99 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs by defeating the eighth-seeded Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks four games to one...
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|PHI
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||49||33||.598|| style="text-align:center;"|3rd in Atlantic||10||5||5||.500
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in Conf. Semifinals
2000 NBA Playoffs
The 2000 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1999–2000 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers win their first championship in twelve years by defeating the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers...
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|PHI
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||56||26||.683|| style="text-align:center;"|1st in Atlantic||23||12||11||.522
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in NBA Finals
2001 NBA Finals
The 2001 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2000-01 National Basketball Association season. The Los Angeles Lakers of the Western Conference took on the Philadelphia 76ers of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Lakers holding home court advantage in a best-of-seven format.The...
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|PHI
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||43||39||.524|| style="text-align:center;"|4th in Atlantic||5||2||3||.400
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in First Round
2002 NBA Playoffs
The 2002 NBA Playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2001–02 season. This would be the final postseason that held a best-of-5 first-round series; next year's postseason would see those series expanded to a best-of-7 format...
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|PHI
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||48||34||.585|| style="text-align:center;"|2nd in Atlantic||12||6||6||.500
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in Conf. Semifinals
2003 NBA Playoffs
The 2003 NBA playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2002-03 NBA season. This postseason was notable for being the first time all series were conducted in a best-of-7 format. It was also the only time in playoff history that no team was swept in a first-round series....
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|DET
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...
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||54||28||.659|| style="text-align:center;"|2nd in Central||23||16||7||.696
| style="text-align:center;"|Won NBA Championship
2004 NBA Finals
The 2004 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2003–04 National Basketball Association season. The Finals were between the Los Angeles Lakers of the Western Conference and the Detroit Pistons of the Eastern Conference; the Lakers held home court advantage...
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|DET
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||54||28||.659|| style="text-align:center;"|1st in Central||25||15||10||.600
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in 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...
|-
| style="text-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...
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||23||59||.280|| style="text-align:center;"|5th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—
| style="text-align:center;"|Missed Playoffs
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|CHA
Charlotte Bobcats
The Charlotte Bobcats is a professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association. The Bobcats were established in 2004 as an expansion team, two seasons after Charlotte's previous NBA...
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||35||47||.427|| style="text-align:center;"|4th in Southeast||—||—||—||—
| style="text-align:center;"|Missed Playoffs
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|CHA
| style="text-align:left;"|
|82||44||38||.537|| style="text-align:center;"|3rd in Southeast||4||0||4||.000
| style="text-align:center;"|Lost in First Round
2010 NBA Playoffs
The 2010 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2009–10 season. The playoffs started on April 17, 2010 with ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|CHA
| style="text-align:left;"|
|28||9||19||.321|| style="text-align:center;"|—||—||—||—||—
| style="text-align:center;"|—
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:left;"|NBA Career
| ||2002||1098||904||.548|| ||193||100||93||.518
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:left;"|ABA Career
| ||336||229||107||.682|| ||42||20||22||.476
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:left;"|Career Total
| ||2338||1327||1011||.568|| ||235||120||115||.511
NCAA
Achievements
- 1973 Carolina Cougars: ABA Eastern Division regular season champions
- 1975 Denver Nuggets: ABA Western Division regular season champions
- 1976 Denver Nuggets: ABA regular season champions (single-division)
- 1977 Denver Nuggets: NBA Midwest Division Champions
- 1978 Denver Nuggets: NBA Midwest Division Champions
- 1980 UCLA: NCAA Championship Game
- 1984 Kansas: Big Eight Conference Tournament Champions
- 1986 Kansas: NCAA Final Four & Big Eight Conference & Tournament Champions
- 1988 Kansas: NCAA National Champions
- 1990 San Antonio Spurs: NBA Midwest Division Champions
- 1991 San Antonio Spurs: NBA Midwest Division Champions
- 1995 Indiana Pacers: NBA Central Division Champions
- 2001 Philadelphia 76ers: NBA Eastern Conference Champions
- 2004 Detroit Pistons: NBA Champions
- 2005 Detroit Pistons: NBA Eastern Conference Champions
- College: 1 National Championship, 3 Final Fours in 7 seasons
- Pro: 1 Championship, 3 Conference Championships, 10 Division Championships, 18 Playoff appearances in 26 seasons
- 1,098 career NBA wins
See also
- NCAA Men's Division I Final Four appearances by coachesNCAA Men's Division I Final Four appearances by coachesThis is a list of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Regional Championships by coach. The current names of the NCAA Tournament regions are the East, Southeast, Southwest, and West...
- List of select Jewish basketball players
External links
- Larry Brown InsideHoops.com profile
- Hoophall.com Hall of Fame Basketball Hall of Fame profile
- Coach Larry Brown's Kansas Jayhawks 1988 NCAA Champions Basketball Pennant
- basketball-reference.com Career statistics
- Piston's Langlois blog on Brown
- Back To School: Head Coach Larry Brown College Bound? Feature from March 2011