So, he did it.
Larry Brown left Detroit, but we already knew that. Right? We knew it before he even left. It wasn't a poorly-kept secret, because it wasn't a secret at all. Still, Brown left Detroit without a smile on his face, the same way he has left other cities and organizations.
But he did it. Again. However, Brown's agent, Joe Glass, is saying that Brown still wanted to remain in Detroit. Right. He may have, but for Glass and Brown to somehow think that anyone owes an ounce of sympathy towards Larry Brown over how his coaching contracts are handled is ludicrous. They are owed nothing. Did Brown want to remain in Detroit?
Maybe in the end. Maybe the day before the buyout happened. Maybe when Joe Dumars was still saying emphatically that Brown was the coach of the Pistons. Not when it mattered, though. When it mattered, when Brown absolutely had to be there for that franchise, Brown might not have wanted to remain in Detroit.
Nor do you go around talking about other jobs being your "dream job" when you are in the middle of a season in which you are trying to defend the championship you just won. So, Brown can sit there all day and tell you that he was fired, if he wanted to. The ability to decide whether you want to buy what he is selling you, well, that remains up to you.
Brown and Co. looking for sympathy in this situation means nothing, but is also telling.
Brown is a gentleman. He is a classy individual that may just call a timeout for the home crowd to keep up their standing ovation for a departing warrior. When the end of the day comes, Brown undoubtedly cares what people think of him. Otherwise, he wouldn't run so much spin whenever he leaves town.
When he left Philadelphia, man, he loved the town so much that he kept his kids there. That's sure to help the mind of the Philly fan that just wants to have a parade, right? Not really. He is leaving Detroit, but wanted to remain there, he says.
Larry, if you wanted to stay in Detroit, you wouldn't have opened your mouth about New York or came dangerously close to heading to Cleveland. Right?
Still, the Pistons are hardly innocent in this matter. They cut a guy loose, after two very good seasons, to bring Brown to Detroit. There wasn't a whole lot of warning in that matter. Rick Carlisle may have landed on his feet in Indiana, but the Pistons showed a completely lack of loyalty towards Carlisle.
Does any of that all matter?
In the end, Brown and the Pistons both expose just how flawed the business is. Brown comes off as being naive towards the negative ends of his departures. The team from which he just left sits with a shocked look about them.
The Pistons knew what they wanted. Brown knew what he wanted. They came together to win a championship. They accomplished what they wanted. Brown finally had his ring, and Joe Dumars began the return to glory for the Pistons.
It's a shame that the press releases announcing that Brown was done in Detroit hardly mentioned this.
Now, Brown will likely wind up in New York with his "dream job." The Knicks would be the eighth team for Brown during his NBA coaching career. He has coached two college teams, as well. After his two years, or whatever stint Brown puts in this time, where does he head?
The answer is simple.
Anywhere.
Because in the world of Larry Brown, and, let's face it, the world of sports, a dream job can come, go, and then come again.
Leave a Comment