NEW YORK (AP) - Larry Brown is employed again, and the New York Knicks might just become a team to watch after nearly a half-decade of malaise and mediocrity.
Brown's "dream job" became a reality Wednesday when his agent and the Knicks wrapped up contract negotiations. Brown will sign the documents Thursday before a news conference at Madison Square Garden.
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Not since Pat Riley took over the team in 1991 has there been a summertime buzz surrounding the Knicks to match what's been transpiring lately. Brown has made the Knicks relevant in the local sports scene again, and the fans who have watched the franchise stumble and slump into insignificance finally have something to give them some promise.
Sure, the Knicks' roster is sub-par compared to the top echelon of teams in the NBA's Eastern Conference. But with Brown's proven track record of turning losers into winners, those feelings of hope have some legitimacy behind them.
"I want badly for this thing to turn around," Brown told The Daily News in Thursday editions. "I'm going to do my very best. It's not going to happen because of me. It's going to happen because of all the people Isiah has in place."
Brown will sit alongside team president Isiah Thomas when the Knicks introduce the 22nd coach in franchise history. The final contract details were ironed out less than 10 days after his divorce from the Detroit Pistons was finalized.
The Knicks were Brown's favorite team when he was growing up in Brooklyn, and the eighth stop on his NBA coaching carousel will truly be a "dream job" - just what Brown called it earlier this year.
He'll join a long list of distinguished coaches - including Joe Lapchick, Red Holzman, Riley and Lenny Wilkens - who have guided one of the NBA's charter franchises.
In 22 seasons as a professional coach, Brown has compiled a 987-741 record. The title he won with the Detroit Pistons in 2004 was his only NBA championship.
Brown's "dream job" became a reality Wednesday when his agent and the Knicks wrapped up contract negotiations. Brown will sign the documents Thursday before a news conference at Madison Square Garden.
Also...
Not since Pat Riley took over the team in 1991 has there been a summertime buzz surrounding the Knicks to match what's been transpiring lately. Brown has made the Knicks relevant in the local sports scene again, and the fans who have watched the franchise stumble and slump into insignificance finally have something to give them some promise.
Sure, the Knicks' roster is sub-par compared to the top echelon of teams in the NBA's Eastern Conference. But with Brown's proven track record of turning losers into winners, those feelings of hope have some legitimacy behind them.
"I want badly for this thing to turn around," Brown told The Daily News in Thursday editions. "I'm going to do my very best. It's not going to happen because of me. It's going to happen because of all the people Isiah has in place."
Brown will sit alongside team president Isiah Thomas when the Knicks introduce the 22nd coach in franchise history. The final contract details were ironed out less than 10 days after his divorce from the Detroit Pistons was finalized.
The Knicks were Brown's favorite team when he was growing up in Brooklyn, and the eighth stop on his NBA coaching carousel will truly be a "dream job" - just what Brown called it earlier this year.
He'll join a long list of distinguished coaches - including Joe Lapchick, Red Holzman, Riley and Lenny Wilkens - who have guided one of the NBA's charter franchises.
In 22 seasons as a professional coach, Brown has compiled a 987-741 record. The title he won with the Detroit Pistons in 2004 was his only NBA championship.