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NBA FINALS: CLEVELAND VS GOLDEN STATE

May 31, 2017

Mike Brown

Oakland, California: Practice Day

MODERATOR: First question, please.

Q. Is it a little bit surreal for you to be coaching against the Cavs, and what edge would you have knowing some of these players so well?
COACH BROWN: I don't think I have an edge. At this point especially at this point in the year they know everything about us, we know everything about them. Whether I was here or not, these guys would still have a good feel of what Cleveland's going to do. And the closer it gets to game time, it feels a little surreal. I'm sure come tip-off tomorrow, when I'm looking at those guys in that uniform, it will feel even more that way, but right now just kind of taking everything in stride.

Q. It's been a long time obviously since LeBron's first Finals. As a coach, what changes have you seen in him as a player from his first Finals up until right now?
COACH BROWN: The biggest change is the other four guys around him out on the floor (laughter.) Those guys, the team that we had in 2007 was a good team. We were a grind-it-out, gutty team. LeBron was young, there was a tremendous load on him offensively and he's got at least two other perennial All-Stars with him on the floor at most times. He had the same thing when he went to Miami.

So when you have that, A, it makes you a better player, but on top of that, his intellect continues to grow, he was already one of the most intelligent guys I've ever been around back then, but that continues to grow. And then if there's one thing that you can see basketball-wise, it's just his ability to shoot the ball. In 2007, too, what San Antonio did was, didn't matter where the pick and roll was, and we ran a lot of pick and rolls because he generated a lot of offense for us, they went under and Bruce Bowen, even if he had to drop 10 feet, he's dropping 10 feet and he's going under and he's daring LeBron to shoot it.

He was a decent shooter back then. Now, if you go under, especially at that 3-point line, he's going to make you pay. And he can beat you by doing that.

Q. Has Steve decided yet whether he might coach tomorrow? Could he be a game-time decision? And just how does he seem to you out there?
COACH BROWN: Well, he does seem like he's getting better, but I'm going to keep coaching until he says he can or can't do it. But he hasn't told me either way right now.

Q. Question for you is just in terms of the additions that the Cavaliers made this year, they have a long range shooter in Kyle Korver, a veteran point guard in Deron Williams. How do those two pieces aid them in their ability to win games?
COACH BROWN: Well, the first thing, they're veteran guys that have played in big games. So they're not going to be surprised nor afraid of the moment. And then when you have arguably two of the best one-on-one players in the game of basketball, arguably ever to play the game of basketball in LeBron and Kyrie, to have guys that can knock down shots, make plays, or at least have to be guarded to create more space for those other guys to make plays for themselves or for others makes them a very, very dangerous team.

Q. You had LeBron early in his career when he was starting to make his mark as a guy that could be a clutch player, a finisher. The prospect of being on the other side of the basketball court when he has the basketball in his hands when the game's on the line?
COACH BROWN: Well, I don't know if we can see if Cleveland will cut him and we can sign him as free agent right now, but that would help out. He's tremendous. What he's always done, he's always made the right play. And back then he used to get hammered all the time because he would drive and three guys would collapse on him and he would make the right basketball play, and a lot of times we won big games for that. We beat Washington in the Playoffs I think when he hit Damon Jones and we beat Toronto, I think he hit Damon another time. So he's a very dangerous player because most, quote/unquote, big-time players in that situation, you know, they're going to shoot the ball.

So you can run two or three guys at him, knowing that you're going to make a tough, tough shot for them to knock down. But a guy like him, especially with the weapons that they have right now, and Kyrie and this guy and that guy, Kevin Love and down the line, it makes it very hard, because if you run too many guys at him, you're going to have a very good player with experience that's not afraid of the moment stepping in and being able to get a great look that's wide open and most likely is a lay-up for most of those guys in that situation. So it's a daunting task, but we're looking forward to the challenge.

Q. I know you've done a couple of interviews about this, just having been with the Cavs, and I think Dan's still paying you from what he owes, but just what does this mean to you, given your history with the organization, having been there twice, to now be facing them in The Finals this way?
COACH BROWN: I mean, my son goes to school back there, I still have a house back there, I have fond memories back there and went back there a second time with a good buddy of mine, Chris Grant, and saw them put this plan into motion that is going on now. But the reality of it is I'm a part of the Warriors. I'm just extremely happy to be in The Finals. It wouldn't matter who we are facing, Cleveland, whoever.

So a lot of people have said this to me, and maybe I am made up differently, I'm not looking at this as Cleveland fired me twice, this is the time to get back at them or is there any extra incentive? No, I just want to win. I don't care who it is, I just want to be a part of a winning program and be the last team, quote/unquote, standing.

So no matter who it was in front of us and it just happens to be Cleveland, yes, I want to win just as bad as if it was anybody else.

Q. So do you look at this then as luck or fate or small world, or just how do you qualify to yourself -- I mean, you were just there two years ago, and now you're going to be Steve's assistant, and now you're the acting head coach in The Finals against them.
COACH BROWN: Well, to be in the situation of being in The Finals is -- you would call it luck, being blessed, you know, I don't know, being in the right spot at the right time, circle of life like the Lion King, you know, everything comes back around, I guess. But I'm just happy and excited and fortunate to be here.

Q. I have a couple of questions, one and a follow-up. First of all, Steve gave an interview yesterday where he talked about he's trying to decide is he well enough to return to the bench, but he's been in the locker room for the past couple games. Can you just describe the level of communication that has gone on between the two of you during this process, how does it work during a game or between games?
COACH BROWN: No, we communicate all the time. We're on the phone. Even when we're not together, we're on the phone at least twice a day. Yes, when he's here during games, he's in the locker room with us before the game talking strategy, talking strategy when we meet at halftime as coaches. And then he'll address the team at halftime even at the end of games. We just kind of play off each other. Sometimes I may address the team first, then he'll go. Sometimes he may address the team, then I'll go. Sometimes I won't even say anything, and he'll just talk.

So I think we have a great rapport with one another. And, hey, at the end of the day this is his team. He's the head coach, and I'm just doing my job.

Q. The follow-up is he made a comment about how at mid-season you came to him and you kind of told him that you had had sort of an epiphany of seeing how they work and why they don't call as many plays. Can you just describe that moment from your perspective and how you grew to understand this team?
COACH BROWN: Well, this is a veteran team that Steve has given a lot of ownership to. He gives them a lot of freedom. They know how to handle it. They do a terrific job of handling it. It took me a little while to adjust to it, but once you've been around it, you've been around the players, you know how intelligent they are, it's easy why this team is coached that way.

As time has gone on, I've just gotten more used to it and acclimated to it and now it's to a point to where if I'm in trouble we got great assistants and then we also have great leadership out of our players on the floor.

Q. 10 years ago you had LeBron in his first Finals, and I'm wondering now the difference you see in him back then and in that first Finals 10 years ago and the player he is now.
COACH BROWN: I said a little earlier, the biggest thing is his ability to shoot the basketball from range consistently. If you're not careful, he can beat you from the 3-point line. We played San Antonio back in 2007, Bruce Bowen went under every single pick and roll, didn't matter how low the screen was set, Bruce was going underneath and they were basically daring LeBron to shoot it. And at times he made it, at times he missed it. But it didn't allow him to get downhill and to make players for others, which is what he liked to do. And you do that to him now, he'll make you pay, and he can even beat you from that 3-point line.

MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach.

COACH BROWN: Thank you, guys.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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