Knicks fire Brown, name Thomas new coach

**isetcap** · 06-22-06, 09:24 AM

Knicks fire Brown, name Thomas new coach

The inevitable has happened.

Thomas is following Riley's lead and will become the new coach for the Knicks.

**JoshW** · 06-22-06, 09:29 AM

:|

Knicks fire Larry Brown, Isiah Thomas new coach

Knicks News | 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.

InsideHoops.com Editor Says: Well, thanks to the local New York media, everyone knew this was going to happen, but no one really wanted to believe it. The quick crash-and-burn of Larry Brown's time with the Knicks is shocking. It was expected that Brown and Stephon Marbury might clash, and perhaps have problems, but no one thought the relationship between the coach and most of the players, plus upper management, would be such a disaster. Now Isiah gets to coach. The funny thing is, if he just runs a steady rotation, and runs basic plays, the Knicks will win more games this season than they did after Brown. Which is going to result in unrealistic people left and right making ridiculous assumptions that Isiah is somehow a better coach than Brown. The fact is, Brown for his career, almost everywhere he went, was better than almost anyone. But for whatever reason, he seemingly did as much as possible to trash the team last season. So, I predict Isiah will actually be "fine" as coach, and by "fine" I mean the team will win 5-10 more games than they did last season. But the truth is, the roster is still seriously flawed, and the team as it currently stands has no upside aside from maybe next season, or the season after, winning enough games to make the playoffs, but never getting past the first round. A championship is impossible, which is a real shame.

InsideHoops.com - Larry Brown Fired - Isiah Thomas new Knicks coach - Knicks fire Larry Brown

http://www.insidehoops.com/brown-fired-isiah-062206.shtml

Larry Brown Fired - Isiah Thomas new Knicks coach - Knicks fire Larry Brown

**Illusion** · 06-22-06, 10:07 AM

Knicks fire Brown, name Thomas new coach

It's official, the Knicks have hit a new low.

The New York Knicks fired coach Larry Brown on Thursday, replacing him as coach with president and general manager Isiah Thomas.

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.

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.

On Thursday, Dolan made the switch official.

"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," Dolan said.

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. His Pacers teams were 131-115 record, making the playoffs in each of his three seasons.

"No one in our organization is happy with last season and we all accept responsibility for our performance. ... 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," Thomas said.

Buying out Brown, who signed a deal with the Knicks amid much hoopla last July, taking over what he then called a "dream job," could cost the team as much as $40 million.

Brown wanted the team to overhaul the roster that Thomas had assembled and feuded openly with star Stephon Marbury.

The coach perplexed his players and eventually lost their support by constantly switching lineups and rotations, never quite settling on any set combination over the course of the 82-game season. His penchant for making thinly veiled criticisms of his players through the media irked his players nearly as much as it bothered the team's corporate owners at Cablevision.

Despite the players' and management's strangely rosy pronouncements on the day after the season ended, all was certainly not well inside the franchise. One of Brown's final moves that left several key people scratching their heads was his use (or non-use) of Steve Francis and Jalen Rose after they were acquired at midseason.

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.

Brown received a $7 million buyout with the Pistons in July 2005 in a bitter breakup with Detroit owner Bill Davidson also came to the realization that he'd be better off with a different coach.

**adriano** · 06-22-06, 10:10 AM

The Royals will have a better record than next year's Knicks.

**Illusion** · 06-22-06, 10:24 AM

I went ahead and merged all three threads about this together.

**adriano** · 06-22-06, 10:29 AM

There are 3 (three) threads started Illusion.

We should have a poll will Knicks manage 20 wins or somehing

**bigboydan** · 06-22-06, 11:59 AM

the knicks fired the wrong guy. they should have fired thomas, for creating that mess he did.

**BigDog** · 06-22-06, 01:43 PM

There is NO FVCKING coach alive that can win with this team guys.....The bottom line is the Knicks DON'T have the players to be a contender.....Unless they make some smart moves during the offseason to bring some players in they will be as bad next year as they were this

**isetcap** · 06-22-06, 02:21 PM

Originally posted by bigboydan

the knicks fired the wrong guy. they should have fired thomas, for creating that mess he did.

No, they didn't. They should have fired them both.

**bigboydan** · 06-22-06, 04:22 PM

by this time next year thomas will be fired, if not before isetcap.

the knicks are in some serious troubled times right now, and will be like this for the next 5 years.

**slacker00** · 06-22-06, 11:39 PM

Where's Brown's next stop? I don't think he'll be out of the game for too long.

**Seattle Slew** · 06-23-06, 12:29 AM

Check out the Knicks payroll and you'll see why they are screwed for the next 3 years at least. I thought Boston had some bad contracts, but this is amazing. None of these guys are tradeable.

These are the salaries of all NBA players

http://www.hoopshype.com/salaries/new_york.htm

Hoopshype salaries of all NBA players

Originally posted by BigDog

There is NO FVCKING coach alive that can win with this team guys.....The bottom line is the Knicks DON'T have the players to be a contender.....Unless they make some smart moves during the offseason to bring some players in they will be as bad next year as they were this

**pags11** · 06-23-06, 03:40 PM

I agree with Dan here...Brown, although a hardass, has been able to turn things around everywhere he's gone...Thomas will be lucky to last through the season, as he's proven to be an average coach at best...

**bigboydan** · 06-24-06, 01:30 AM

ok guys, whats this stuff i hear comming out tonight.

the knick just released some statement saying there gonna try and backout of paying larry brown. due to breaking some policy they had in his contract, and giving road side interviews.

**Illusion** · 06-24-06, 05:22 AM

Knicks say Brown violated MSG policy by talking

I highly doubt this voids his contract. Stern is gonna ultimately end up mediating the dispute.

NEW YORK -- The Knicks contend Larry Brown broke Madison Square Garden policy with his roadside interviews, a decision the team believes could wind up saving them millions.

The Knicks fired Brown on Thursday after one season as their coach and replaced him with team president and general manager Isiah Thomas. Brown has four years and a reported $40 million left on his contract, but the Knicks say the Hall of Fame coach is not entitled to all of it because of his disregard for team policy.

Since James Dolan became owner of the Knicks and Rangers, Madison Square Garden policy specifies that any interviews must be done with a public relations official present -- with no exceptions, according to a person familiar with the policy, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because this matter has not been resolved.

After reports surfaced in May that Dolan was considering buying out Brown's contract, the Knicks made neither Brown nor Thomas available after they worked out potential draft prospects.

Reporters soon began waiting near the entrance to the Knicks' training facility in Greenburgh, N.Y. On a few occasions, Brown pulled his car over to speak, saying during one interview he felt like a "dead man walking."

Brown's agent, Joe Glass, would not address the contention that the Hall of Fame coach was violating company rules.

"I'm not going to comment on any alleged misconduct," he said Friday. "It will be taken care of in the proper format at the proper time."

Told the Knicks are citing a specific infraction, Glass said, "We will answer all of the alleged allegations at the appropriate time at the appropriate format."

Glass, in any event, expects his client to be properly taken care of.

"I'm sure he will be," he said.

The Knicks went 23-59 -- matching the franchise record for losses in a year -- despite carrying the highest payroll in the league. Brown's criticism of Stephon Marbury and other players through the media clearly rankled Dolan. Now the coaching job belongs to Thomas, the Knicks' fifth coach in the last three years.

"I'm disappointed, I love this franchise, but I didn't do what I was paid to do," Brown said in Friday's New York Post. "I didn't do the job. I wish them well and I move on.

"I had a great opportunity. ... They feel I didn't do what I came to do. I mean, I won 23 games."

**priceperheadexpert** · 06-24-06, 07:00 PM

Whats important here is who Thomas names as his assistants..Will HERB make it through another administration..Ford will be let go..They need a fresh face..I thought they wold make a run at Billy the kid in Florida, but I guess not..

Mario Elie could be available..Rolando Blackman is maturing..Harris in Dallas or Rothstein in Miami could be nice choices..Thomas needs help..

**not mofome** · 06-24-06, 07:06 PM

knicks will be alright they will get a great 2nd round draft pick

**picantel** · 06-24-06, 10:13 PM

houston 20 mil
lebron 4.6 mil
umm

**isetcap** · 06-25-06, 06:20 AM

Originally posted by picantel

houston 20 mil
lebron 4.6 mil
umm

wade 3 mil

For the salary of Allan Houston (retired) you can have:

Dwayne Wade
Dwayne Wade
Dwayne Wade
Dwayne Wade
Dwayne Wade

and

Lebron James coming off the bench.

**Illusion** · 06-25-06, 11:02 AM

Can somebody explain to me how a retired player keeps getting paid from his contract. Doesn't retiring void the contract? I am sure there's a story behind this, I just can't recall what happened.

**slacker00** · 06-25-06, 11:18 PM

Originally posted by Illusion

Can somebody explain to me how a retired player keeps getting paid from his contract. Doesn't retiring void the contract? I am sure there's a story behind this, I just can't recall what happened.

Maybe it was a big signing bonus. Maybe the Knicks and Houston reached a settlement. I don't know, and I'm too lazy to look it up. I'm such a slacker!

wade 3 mil

For the salary of Allan Houston (retired) you can have:

Dwayne Wade
Dwayne Wade
Dwayne Wade
Dwayne Wade
Dwayne Wade

and

Lebron James coming off the bench.

Excellent post, isetcap. Really makes a guy think.

Can you imagine having that team? I mean even thinking about it. Jesus.