NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: PISTONS v HEAT

May 25, 2005

Larry Brown

COACH LARRY BROWN: Well, it's disappointing, but I talk to Joe (Dumars) every day. The only thing my players ever ask me is how I'm feeling. And then the guys that cover us know exactly what's going on, so I don't think from that standpoint it's difficult. It just bothers me when you hear sources. When I first got started in this profession, I never dealt with reporters that wrote about sources. They would be direct with you, and then you'd hopefully be direct and honest with them. But my team is great about it and I think Joe is great about it. This has been going on since November 3rd, and the only issue about my future is if I'm going to be able to coach, and I've said that from day one. I guess I should comment on this. I've said to our guys 100 times that the only place I'm going to coach next season or ever is Detroit, I think. In terms of ever, Hubie (Brown) came back after ten years. I might be coaching Harvard-Westlake or Episcopal Academy. I've already told Joe if he wants to go get another coach, I told him in January, and he told me, it's okay with them that I go see a doctor, and I think within 72 hours I'll be able to let him know. If he wants to make a change before then, you know, I can accept that.

COACH LARRY BROWN: The pressure is no different. I love what I'm doing. But nothing has changed since November 3rd. Obviously in the middle of the year when I had another surgery it bothered me a little bit and I didn't know what I was going to be able to do, but we made a decision I was going to finish the season and then go see. I don't want to bring up stuff about that, especially now. I mean, for somebody to do something like that now, for this team and these guys, that troubles me. But this is what's happening and we're going to move on.

COACH LARRY BROWN: No. I mean, I know when you look at his shooting percentage over the year, he's in the low 30s, but he's a great outside shooter. If the shot is there, I'm not going to get carried away. I don't want us to get zeroed in on shooting 3s against them because then you get them out in transition, and I don't know how you can guard Dwyane in the open court.

COACH LARRY BROWN: About the guys that have been on the Olympics? Players?

COACH LARRY BROWN: I watched Ginobili last night and Timmy (Duncan) -- well, Timmy never got to play in the Olympics. I don't think people realize that. All the guys that I've spoken to when I was with them in 2000 and then just recently, they all said it was tough. But I see the level of play. Look at all the kids, how great they've played, Dwyane and Stoudemire, LeBron, Carmelo, Okafor. I would hope it helped them. We didn't have anybody on our team, but Timmy has had some injuries, but I don't think they're related to him playing those extra games. And for me, you know, I love what I'm doing. I mean, I -- and especially now when I don't know what the future holds. I mean, I'm grabbing onto every game and enjoying it.

COACH LARRY BROWN: Mine?

COACH LARRY BROWN: You know, again, I've heard that from a lot of guys. If you've ever been on one of these tours, it's a vacation. I mean, we didn't have a lot of days to practice. This last one might have been tougher because the kids are so young and I don't know if they knew how to deal with it. I don't know, I think this is our profession and this is what you do, and I don't know many guys in the off-season that don't work on their game.