A member of Kansas University’s Athletics Hall of Fame, former Jayhawk coach Larry Brown is now a member of basketball’s most prestigious Hall.
Brown, who coached at KU from 1983 to 1988, will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame on Sept. 27 in Springfield, Mass.
Brown will be the 14th Jayhawk to enter the Hall when he is enshrined along with Los Angeles Lakers’ great Magic Johnson; Arizona coach Lute Olson; the late Drazen Petrovic of Portland and New Jersey; North Carolina State women’s coach Kay Yow and the Harlem Globetrotters.
“To get in was something I never believed would happen,” Brown said. “To get in with the Globetrotters, Magic, people like that, it doesn’t get any better. It’s really surreal almost, but it’s so neat, because I’ve told people that one of the greatest days of my life was to go see the Harlem Globetrotters play a doubleheader.”
Brown, who led the Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA Finals last year, has led one team to a championship the 1988 Kansas Jayhawks.
“Those were five of the greatest years I’ve had,” Brown told the Journal-World.
He went 135-44 at KU with two Final Fours to his credit.
“It was an unbelievable thrill being coach of Kansas realizing the tradition, who I followed, who is involved in Kansas basketball,” Brown said.
“There is not a better place to coach basketball really.”
Before coming to KU, he had stints in the pros (ABA’s Denver Rockets and Carolina Cougars, NBA’s New Jersey Nets) and college (UCLA). Brown has posted winning records in 26 of his 30 seasons. His record in the NBA is 831-651. He was 229-107 in the ABA and 177-61 in college.
Like Brown, KU coach Roy Williams, is a graduate of the University of North Carolina and Dean Smith disciple.
“Growing up in North Carolina, Larry Brown was one of my heroes and my respect for him has only grown and grown,” Williams said.
Some of his former players are obviously thrilled for Brown.
“He’s proven you don’t need a lot of stars to win,” said Milt Newton, player personnel director for the National Basketball Developmental League. “Coach Brown loves role players. If you listen to him, learn the knowledge of how to play the game his way which, by the way, is the right way you will succeed. He’s helped me every step of the way.”
Of Brown, ex-Jayhawk Danny Manning of the Dallas Mavericks said: “I think he’s the best. He’s a great teacher. On and off the court he is always teaching and I think that’s what makes him great.”
Great is a word that describes the other inductees as well.
Johnson led the Los Angeles Lakers to five NBA championships in the 1980s.
“It’s been a great ride, this is a great moment for me, my family,” Johnson said. “I’m emotional, I’m sure I’ll be more emotional in September. I tried to represent the city and the organization the best I could. By doing that, this is my reward.
Olson, 67, has a 767-255 record in 29 years as a Division I college coach the last 18 at Arizona. He has coached five teams to the Final Four and the Wildcats won the NCAA championship in 1997.
Petrovic, who died nine years ago in an automobile accident in Germany, was a standout for the teams from Yugoslavia (1988) and Croatia (1992) that won Olympic silver medals. He averaged 15.4 points in four NBA seasons before his death at age 28.
Yow, 60, has a 611-252 record at Elon (1972-75) and North Carolina State (1976-present).
Founded in 1927, the Globetrotters have played more than 20,000 games in over 100 countries. KU assistant basketball coach Lynette Woodard is a former Globetrotter.
A finalist for the nomination last year, Brown received the required 18 of 24 votes from the Honors Committee this year. Brown completed his fifth season with the Sixers last month, his longest tenure with any team in 19 years in the NBA.
His biggest challenge probably has been coaching Sixers guard Allen Iverson. The two have had a tumultuous relationship since the coach arrived in Philadelphia.
“Coach Brown said, ‘God put me on this earth to deal with one person, to coach Iverson,”‘ said former Jayhawk Mike Maddox.
Brown will keep coaching Iverson. He has no plans to retire.
“I still have a lot ahead of me,” he said. “This is what coaching is all about. You have bumps in the road, you recover from them, and hopefully I’m not finished. This is an honor I’m receiving because of them. This is because of every kid I’ve ever coached.”
