[NBA] Knicks fire Brown; Thomas takes over

Posted by J. Yayo Hernandez on 06.22.2006

As expected, axe falls on head coach after turmoil-ridden first season


NEW YORK - Larry Brown was fired by the New York Knicks on Thursday and replaced as coach by 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.

"No one in our organization is happy with last season and we all accept responsibility for our performance," Thomas said in a statement released by the Knicks. "This has been a difficult time for the entire organization and our fans.

"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 joined the Knicks as president and GM in December 2003. He was coach of the Indiana Pacers for three seasons through 2002-03, compiling a 131-115 record.

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 in November. He had offseason surgery to address the problem.

"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," Dolan said. "Sometimes decisions work and sometimes they don't."