Larry Brown

Larry Brown is an American basketball coach and former player who is the only coach in basketball history to win both an NCAA national championship and an NBA Championship title. As a player, he won an ABA championship with the Oakland Oaks in 1969 and an Olympic gold medal in 1964.

Player Profile and Personal Life

Lawrence Harvey Brown was born on September 14, 1940, in New York City, New York.

He stands 175 cm tall and his weight was last listed at 75 kg. He shot right and played point guard throughout his career.

His mother's side immigrated from Minsk, Belarus in 1910 and established a bakery in Brooklyn. His father Milton Brown was a furniture salesman who died suddenly in 1947 from a ruptured aneurysm.

After his father's death, the family moved within Brooklyn before settling in Long Beach, New York. Brown has an older brother Herbert Brown, who also became an NBA head coach. His mother lived to be 106 years old.

High School and College Career

Brown attended Long Beach High School in Lido Beach, New York. He then played college basketball at the University of North Carolina from 1960 to 1963, earning First-team All-ACC honors in 1963 and Second-team All-ACC in 1962.

Professional Career

Brown's basketball career spans over five decades, beginning when he was selected by the Baltimore Bullets in the 7th round (55th overall) of the 1963 NBA Draft.

His professional playing career ran from 1967 to 1972, during which he played point guard for three ABA teams: the New Orleans Buccaneers, Oakland Oaks (which later became the Washington Caps and Virginia Squires), and the Denver Rockets.

During his playing career, he achieved significant success, winning an ABA championship in 1969, earning three ABA All-Star selections (1968-1970), and leading the league in assists for three consecutive seasons.

His coaching career began even before his playing days ended, serving as an Assistant Coach at North Carolina from 1965 to 1967. After retiring as a player, Brown embarked on one of the most distinguished coaching careers in basketball history, leading teams in both the ABA and NBA from 1972 to 2022.

His coaching journey included successful stints with multiple professional teams and college programs, including the Carolina Cougars, Denver Nuggets, UCLA, Kansas, and various NBA franchises.

Brown's coaching achievements are remarkable. In the NBA, he won an NBA Championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2004 and was named Coach of the Year in 2001.

In the ABA, he was named Coach of the Year three times (1973, 1975, 1976) and coached in three ABA All-Star Games. He also coached in two NBA All-Star Games (1977, 2001) and was named among the Top 15 Coaches in NBA History.

His international coaching career was equally impressive. As Head Coach for Team USA, he led the team to gold at the 2003 FIBA Americas Championship.

He also served as head coach during the 2004 Olympics (bronze medal) and assistant coach for the 2000 Olympics. As a player, he won gold medals at both the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and the 1961 Maccabiah Games.

His final coaching positions were with Memphis, where he served as an assistant coach in 2021 and as an advisor to the head coach in 2022.

Career Highlights:

• 1969 - ABA Champion
• 1968-1970 - ABA All-Star (3x)
• 1968 - ABA All-Star MVP
• 1968-1970 - ABA Assists Leader (3x)
• 1968 - All-ABA Second Team
• 1963 - First-team All-ACC
• 1962 - Second-team All-ACC

Medal Record:

As a Player, Representing the United States:

• Gold - 1964 Olympic Games (Tokyo)
• Gold - 1961 Maccabiah Games (Israel)

As Head Coach, Representing the United States:

• Bronze - 2004 Olympic Games (Athens)
• Gold - 2003 FIBA Americas Championship (San Juan)

As Assistant Coach, Representing the United States:

• Gold - 2000 Olympic Games (Sydney)