NBA FINALS: PISTONS v SPURS

June 18, 2005

Larry Brown

COACH LARRY BROWN: Well, you know, I have to answer that kind of question all the time. I think it goes back to, you know, when Joe started, I think he tried to bring guys in with a tough mentality and a lot of the kids, if you look on our roster, didn't have the easiest road in terms of becoming NBA players. I look at Nazr and Bruce and Tony Massenburg, guys that I coached, we have a lot of similar guys. So he brought in a culture of, you know, tough-minded kids that respect the game and respect their teammates, and I think it has a positive effect when things go bad. I think Rick (Carlisle) started the defensive mentality and the unselfish play, and we won 50 games with him. You know, before that, we had not been to the playoffs in a long time, and I think all of those experiences helped us last year because we had a similar road I think last year. We lost Game 5 against New Jersey in triple overtime and then won Game 6 and 7, we had a critical game at Indiana last year, we lost our second home game against Milwaukee. It's always been that way. And I don't think it's ever easy, winning a championship anyway.

COACH LARRY BROWN: Well, he emphasized physical play, and then said "great defense" after that. I think if you would have heard my comments after Games 1 and 2, I didn't think we matched their energy. I don't know, I think they both work hand in hand. I think, I really believe all of the things that they did that dominate the first two games, we did to win the last two. And if you can look at all the hustle points, it's pretty obvious who has won. You know, the board has been better for us the last two games than it was the first two. Fast-break points, blocked shots, points off turnovers. So I don't know how physical we are, but I know both teams defend and both teams try to play the right way, and I think we played our very best the last two games, and that's what it's taken.

COACH LARRY BROWN: Well, I think sometimes the films don't lie, and if you have as much pride as our guys -- a lot of times this year, I think a lot of the guys on our team have played with a little chip on their shoulder because even though for me all summer, I have had a lot of people say really positive things about our team, a lot of people said it was because of the Lakers' problems that we had won. And I don't think people realized the Lakers beat San Antonio to get to us. But a lot of it is because of the injuries they had and the problems that obviously people talked about and a lot of people maybe said we had to validate winning a championship. I never felt that way. We have a ring, we have a banner and we're all pretty proud of it. When we got down 2-0 and got beat as badly as we got beaten, I think they understood that, you know, this is a series where we've got to play a lot harder than we did to win. You know, to win a championship, you've got to be pretty special and compete at a high level, and they understood we could do better. It wasn't anything that I did or the coaching staff did. As a coach, I think the best thing that's happened to me here is that I'm allowed to coach. I have empowered our players. They kind of police each other. Again, that goes back to Joe and what he's brought here.

COACH LARRY BROWN: Well, fortunately, you know, the last -- well, the fact that we're here, he's been -- I guess he really appreciates now coming back, because he obviously had some periods over the last three-and-a-half years that he thought about giving it up. So, you know, getting to this point, he thanks everybody every day, you know, like he has nothing to do with it, and that's just what he's about. I felt all along, watching him and Grant Hill and what they have endured, the fact that they could play this year and make such a contribution and bounce back and play at such a high level is phenomenal, because I don't know how you can go through what they went through and keep showing up every day. And then what he's done the last few games, the last three games in particular, I think people have recognized the contribution he's made, so they are starting to talk about him again. I even hear comments about, he did something like he did in Phoenix or like he did in Denver early in his career, and that's kind of nice. There's no better guy in our league than that kid. I mean, he is real and I think everybody in the locker room is thrilled for what's happened to him.

COACH LARRY BROWN: Well, I'm a Carolina guy. So when I was in Philly and Indiana, we used to practice in Chapel Hill in preseason and I always go back there. I had a high opinion of him as a person and as a player a long time ago, way before he got into this league. My brother got to coach him, Mo Cheeks got to coach him. I've known a lot of his teammates, so I'm not surprised by what he's about. Being in Philly, if you ask people in Philadelphia of the things he's done without anybody knowing about it for the community and young people, it's remarkable. You know, a lot of people in our league do things and they get more out of it than actually, you know -- well, I won't get into that. But he's special. You know, he's a poor sport. That's all. When he thinks something is not right, he reacts and sometimes acts silly, but it doesn't take away from who he is in my mind. He's a great player, but a better guy. I've spoken to other coaches that have been with him and they all say the very same thing I'm saying. I'm proud, I'm proud of him, because, you know, I didn't have to argue with Joe to get him here or Mr. D. When I took the job, Mr. Davidson told me he cares about having good people involved in our organization, and when we brought up Rasheed's name, he didn't back down from it. I think there's no way we win the Championship last year and get here this year without him. I'm thrilled that you people even asked that question, because the more you ask it, the more we get to respond and I think people realize just what he is about.

COACH LARRY BROWN: Well, this has been the wildest series. After the first two games, I felt like coming back from Athens, how I felt. And then to understand how important Game 3 was and then how important Game 4 was, and I told the guys today, again, I feel stupid. This is the most important game we'll ever have played, and I really believe that. I think we're going to have to play our very best, because obviously they have not lost at home very much. We haven't won there in ten years, I think. And they are a team that I believe everybody in our locker room thinks is unbelievably well-coached and has great character and is going to compete at a high level. So this is pretty important. And it's nice, it's really fun to be involved in it, to be honest. It's something I hope I can explain to my players that when we talked about Games 6 and 7 at Miami that we just wanted to go out and play and enjoy it. I hope I can make them understand that we need to have that same mentality.