NBAWatch
BROWN
and
the
KNICKS
Peter Jacob Cheung takes a look at celebrated coach Larry Brown’s unique philosophy and approach to the game and how this has influenced both the playing style of the Knicks and its key players. arry Brown is considered one of the best coaches in NBA history for a good reason: prior to his stint in New York, he has taken every single one of his previous teams to the playoffs. At sixty-five and proving that one can indeed go home again, the Knicks will probably be the last stop in his illustrious coaching career. The relative paucity of championship ring (just one) is a direct reflection of the choices he made along the way – he always took on rebuilding teams (except the Pistons), made them better, and moved on to the next challenge. I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing the scholarly-looking coach during the Sydney Olympics when he was an assistant coach to Rudy Tomjanovich with Team USA, and came away very impressed with his passion and candour. To say he knows basketball is probably the biggest understatement a fan can mutter.
His pet phrase, ‘play the right way,’ has come to symbolise the mantra and modus operandi of the last three NBA champions. Spurs’ head coach Gregg Popovich was christened into the league by Brown and his philosophy was largely shaped by his years of working with Brown. In simple terms, Brown believes in playing a team-oriented style of basketball where everyone has to play tenaciously on defense. On offense, the player has to continue to work for better shot opportunities by giving up the ball to an open teammate, working the court from one side to the other. Being a former point guard himself, Brown is exceedingly demanding of any player manning this position, and with good reason. 64 draw&dish Jan’06
USOC
Play The Right Way