Former Lakers’ head coach Mike Brown appeared on The Herd with Colin Cowherd on ESPN Radio on Wednesday, and talked about his experience with the Lakers, Dwight Howard and his former player, LeBron James.
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When asked about being let go by the Lakers early in the season, Brown replied:
“I was shocked. I was shocked that it happened. But, you know, I always look at it this way – it’s their team. They have every right to do what they want to do with it. I appreciate the opportunity that they gave me.”
So, what was Brown’s reaction when the Lakers hired Mike D’Antoni as his replacement? Brown shared with Cowherd:
“The thing that I felt when they hired Mike (D’Antoni), the one thing he said was they were going to score 110-115 points per game and be the old Showtime. I felt that was going to be tough with the roster that they have. That’s not a running team.”
A lot of drama has surrounded Dwight Howard this season for various reasons. However, Dwight’s health seems to be at the forefront of all the questions, to which Brown stated:
“He’s definitely not 100 percent. He still has a ways to go until he can be the “old Dwight”. He’s trying to play through it, to play through injuries, and play himself back to where he once was. It’s going to take some time.”
Mike Brown also weighed in on the stellar performance that his former player (on the Cleveland Cavaliers), LeBron James, has been having this season, especially as of late.
“If you think back, we played Detroit in the playoffs and he had 28 or 29 in one quarter alone. I’ve seen him carry teams many times before. “
Asked if LeBron is reaching Michael Jordan status as a player, he replied:
“I think he is. If you throw out the championships and career-type stuff, I think he is. He’s a special player.”
Back to the Lakers, Brown believes that turning around the season is only a matter of time for LA. He explained:
“I think it can be done…Mike [D’Antoni] has a different philosophy, and it’s worked for him the many years he’s been coaching in the NBA. And I’m sure he’ll figure it out, which he’s been doing.”
“He’s been making some adjustments as time’s gone on. So I think it’s a matter of time before they get it going.”
Mike Brown has stayed relatively quiet about his firing from the Lakers prior to this interview. He seems appreciative for the chance to coach one of the most successful franchises in sports, and will most likely be looking for an opportunity to coach in the NBA once again.
