선생님

[삭5021]

Spurs cherish Brown"s title
Web Posted: 06/17/2004 12:00 AM CDT

Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer

After Spurs chairman Peter Holt finished dispensing the franchise"s first set of championship rings on opening night of the 1999-2000 season, coach Gregg Popovich didn"t bother to try on his newest piece of jewelry. He walked across the Alamodome floor and handed it to the opposing team"s coach.

"I wanted to let him know," Popovich said, "I had it because of him."

Larry Brown wrapped Popovich in a hug that night, then gave him back the ring. If the NBA is looking for another sentimental snapshot, it might want to consider scheduling the Spurs as Detroit"s first opponent next season.

When Brown goes through his own coronation, few people will be celebrating more than the coaches he brought to San Antonio 16 years ago.

"I told Timmy (Duncan) I think I was as thrilled for (Larry) as I was my own team when we won," Popovich said. "He"s been so special to me, so good to me and I"ve learned so much from him."

When Brown left Kansas for the Spurs following the Jayhawks" 1988 NCAA title, he hired Popovich, R.C. Buford, Alvin Gentry and Ed Manning for his inaugural staff. Among the four, only Manning had previous NBA experience, and his was limited to playing in the league.

Buford and Gentry had been Brown"s assistants at Kansas. Popovich, a Division III coach at California"s Pomona-Pitzer, had spent part of the 1986-87 season at Kansas while on sabbatical.

"The guy taught us all so much," said Gentry, who went on to become a head coach for Miami, Detroit and the Los Angeles Clippers and is now an assistant in Phoenix. "I couldn"t repay him in a million years for all he"s done for me. I would have never been a head coach in the NBA were it not for him. I would have never been a head coach anywhere."

Popovich and Buford, now the Spurs general manager, also have attributed much of their success to Brown. When Brown was fired midway through the 1991-92 season, Buford followed him to the Clippers. After serving as Don Nelson"s assistant in Golden State, Popovich was hired as the Spurs general manager in 1994. Buford came with him. Together they have helped guide the franchise to two championships.

Brown spent 21 seasons as an NBA coach before winning his first title.

"You almost feel guilty, like he"s supposed to get that before you do," said Popovich, who spoke daily with Brown, one of his closest friends, during the NBA Finals. "People would sometimes ask why I had two and he had none. Well, it"s because I"ve been more fortunate. That"s the only reason.

"For him to go ahead and get one makes me feel even better. It"s like I can keep these (titles); it"s like we deserve them now."

Though Brown has hopscotched through seven NBA teams, Buford, Gentry and Popovich all say he has never chased a championship. The "end-all, be-all" for Brown, Buford said, is teaching players to play "the right way" — defending, sharing the ball, paying attention to fundamentals.

When Popovich"s son, Micky, used to come to practice with his dad, Brown would put him through a two-hour workout. Micky, at the time, was 11.

"Oftentimes a coach"s agenda can seem phony or misplaced, but Larry"s is really a love-for-the-game agenda," Buford said. "Life is best for him when he"s in practice teaching.

"Look at the way Detroit beat the Lakers. Look at the way they guarded, the way they shared the ball. Larry couldn"t have written a better script."

The confidence the Pistons showed during the Finals, Gentry said, was not unlike that of the Jayhawks in the 1988 NCAA championship game.

"We had already lost to Oklahoma three or four times that year," Gentry said. "But when we walked out on that court, because of Larry, there was no doubt in our mind we were going to win. And there was never any doubt in his mind they could beat the Lakers.

"No offense to Phil Jackson — he"s great. But if I"m going to have to pick the best coach in the NBA, it"s going to be the guy who won the other night."


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jludden@express-news.net

브라운이랑 포포비치랑 사제지간 비슷하게 엄청 친한건 알고있었지만,
(포포비치가 돌머리전술가로 불리면서도 올림픽대표팀코칭스텝에 합류한것도 역시 브라운이 추구하는 농구를 잘 이해하기 때문이겠죠.)

어시스트코치에는 별로 신경안쓰는편이어서 몰랐는데 현재 스퍼스 단장인 뷰포드, 전클리퍼스감독이었던 젠트리도 다 래리브라운이 Kansas대학감독이던 래리밑에서 어시스턴트를 했던 제자들이었군요.

포포비치도 나중에 래리휘하에 합류했고...

뷰포드-포포비치 콤비야 현재의 강력한 스퍼스를 만든 인물인 만큼 말할필요가 없고,

젠트리 역시 클리퍼스시절 나름대로 훌륭하게 어린선수를 지도했었죠.

역시 브라운 감독은 "선생님" 이라는 표현이 정말 어울리는 사람같습니다.

[유군]

농구경기에서....멋진 덩크슛이나 멋진 전술이 나오면 그슛을 성공한 선수나 패스를 성공한 선수가 생각이 나는데 처음으로....감독의 얼굴이 떠오르는 감독입니다...그만큼 래리브라운의 지도력 정말 대단하다고 봅니다...

[duncan&parker]

팝이 99시즌후의 링을 브라운에게 보낸거 같은데..엄청나군요.둘사이가 각별한건 알았지만 이정도 일줄이야.브라운이 스퍼스 우승의 초석을 만들기도 했으니..