Larry Brown Relieved of Head Coaching Responsibilities

Randy Orton

WC's Resident Alchoholic

Larry Brown Relieved of Head Coaching Responsibilities

NEW YORK, June 22, 2006 - Larry Brown has been relieved of his responsibilities as head coach of the New York Knicks it was announced today. Isiah Thomas, who serves as the team's president and general manager, will also assume the role of head coach, effective immediately.
"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. 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 next season," MSG Chairman James L. Dolan said. "I have great personal admiration for Larry, but have concluded that it is best for our franchise if we make this change. We understand that fans were not happy with the performance of the team last season and neither were we. We are committed to making major improvements next season towards our goal of producing a winning basketball team."

"No one in our organization is happy with last season and we all accept responsibility for our performance," Thomas said. "This has been a difficult time for the entire organization and our fans. Today begins the 2006-07 season for the Knicks, and I strongly believe we are on the right track to take major steps in our rebuilding process to achieve our goal of being one of the premier teams in the NBA. 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, who joined the Knicks as president and general manager on Dec. 22, 2003, previously served as a head coach with the Indiana Pacers for three seasons from 2000-01 through 2002-03. Coaching a youthful Pacers team, he compiled a record of 131-115 record, making the playoffs in each of his three seasons.

The NBA's New York Knickerbockers basketball team, completing its 60th year of operation, is part of Madison Square Garden, L.P. Cablevision Systems Corporation owns Madison Square Garden, L.P., which includes MSG Network; FSN New York; the New York Knicks (NBA); the New York Rangers (NHL); the New York Liberty (WNBA); MSG Entertainment; the Hartford Wolf Pack (American Hockey League), and the Madison Square Garden arena complex, located in the heart of the New York metropolitan area.


http://www.nba.com/news/brown_060622.html?rss=true

Dr. Giganto

ugh...

shin zearim

I figured he wouldn't be around to long. He really owed his success with the pistons to the stars that he was coaching. He really didn't have anything to do with the Pistons because they already had all the tools they needed to make a playoff run. The knicks didn't have players like that, so you can imagine how much of a struggle it was for him to go from the best to the worst. I do think it was wrong of him to go out during the season and critize his players the way he did, but it led to this, it's probably time to retire.