Nov. 26, 2004

I was saddened to learn of Hubie Brown's sudden retirement from the NBA sidelines.

	Brown

He did an amazing job in bringing the Memphis Grizzlies into a different level. Brown, along with Jerry West, helped Memphis win 50 games last season. The team had an early departure from the playoffs, losing to San Antonio. So what? Because nobody in their right minds would have picked that club to win 50 games.

Brown did it with discipline and an understanding of how to get the maximum out of his people. He has been a teacher and a motivator with a great knowledge of the sport for many years.

His greatest achievements were not great Ws over the years with the Kentucky Colonels, Atlanta Hawks, New York Knickerbockers or the Grizzlies. It has been his ability to spread his basketball knowledge to so many people, players and coaches alike, at clinics at all over the world.

His famed speeches at the Five-Star basketball camp under guru Howard Garfinkel have been legendary. Brown's in-depth analysis of the game has been unique and special.

I wish Hubie the best of health and happiness. I'll never forget a moment I shared with him when we were coaching high school basketball in New Jersey. I was at East Rutherford and he was at Fairlawn, and we had a scrimmage. One of the officials was former major league umpire Bill Kunkel.

Hubie and I went at it big time, getting in our players' faces. It was not a place for the mild and meek. In the scrimmage situation, you could stop play and instruct your team at any point. I walked out to go to the lavatory at one point. A person watching on the sideline told me, "I just came from Camp Lejeune and I haven't seen anything like that compared to what I've seen from you two coaches!"

I have followed Hubie's career intensely. If the reports are true, I am happy to see Mike Fratello coming in for Hubie. That's a great decision for Memphis to have him continue building on last season's success.

Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in December 1979. Send him a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.