Hell Freezes Over: Isiah In, Larry Brown Out

by David Pincus
2006-06-22

Okay, so what if you heard Barry Bonds admitted he used steroids? Sure, everyone knows that he did it; all we need is for him to acknowledge it. There have been a plethora of signs pointing to Larry Brown’s termination, and sure enough it finally happened this morning. And who better to take over the head coach position for the Knicks than Isiah Thomas.

I’m guessing that Isiah Thomas studied Pat Riley long and hard, because this is playing out eerily similar to his path to the Finals. Isiah’s the GM, wants to be head coach/Riley’s the GM, wants to be head coach. Riley pushes Van Gunday out the door, becomes coach, and wins it all. This has to be what Isiah had in mind, of course his ideas of how to make a basketball team don’t exactly work out.

This is mind-blowing to me, even though I could partially see it coming. Brown being ousted was a given, but even I thought that Knicks owner James Dolan would have the chromosomes to fire Isiah Thomas. Instead he’s not only locked in as GM but now he’s the coach. And going by Dolan’s loyalty, Isiah could be the coach for a long, long time.

Starting with the Patrick Ewing-for-Glen Rice trade a few years ago, this New York Knicks team has been nothing short of a disaster. If you think the League is rigged, then take a look a look at the Knicks, because there aren’t enough covert agents in the world to rig the games this team is going to blow.

Eventually the Knicks will just become the garbage pale of the NBA. What’s that- Juwan Howard has a giant contract that no one will take…BAM! He’s on the Knicks. Kenyon Martin gets in a fight with the Nuggets head coach…ZAP! The Knicks are interested in him. The worst team in the League just let go of Darius Miles…BIFF! You guessed it.

Larry Brown’s reputation is going from team to team. If the Knicks would’ve waited a few months, Larry Brown probably would’ve joined another team and the Knicks wouldn’t have had to pay him any money. But once again, for the umpteenth time, they failed to use some common sense. It’s funny isn’t it, how billionaire James Dolan doesn’t seem to know the value of a dollar.