The legendary broadcasting career of Hubie Brown came to an end on Sunday morning, and the Los Angeles Lakers made sure to pay their respects.
Brown is a basketball lifer and a former player and coach turned broadcaster. He has been involved in the sport for over 60 years and called his final broadcast with ESPN at the age of 91 on Sunday morning when the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Philadelphia 76ers.
The whole game was a tribute to Brown with players and coaches from both teams going over to say thank you and wish him well. After the game, he was celebrated with plenty of tributes, including the referees giving him the game ball. Brown had a hilarious response, questioning why they were giving him a present after he led the league in technical fouls multiple times as a coach.
The Lakers and LeBron James were among those to post on social media as a tribute to Brown, who called plenty of their games over the years:
Here's to a legendary career. Thank you, Hubie. pic.twitter.com/nE6SsSlxXm
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 9, 2025
HUBIE BROWN THE 🐐!!!!!!! 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🫡
— LeBron James (@KingJames) February 9, 2025
Lakers legend Pau Gasol also posted to thank Brown, who was his coach for a few years on the Memphis Grizzlies from 2002-04:
It was a privilege to have you as a head coach, Hubie. Congratulations on your career also as a broadcaster, you are an absolute legend. Thank you!! 🫂 pic.twitter.com/TrRQ6lXhXM
— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) February 10, 2025
Not many broadcasters have been able to match Brown’s enthusiasm and ability to teach the game to its audience, which is one of the biggest problems the NBA faces in today’s day in age.
He was tough and old school, but always fair and clearly always had a love for the game that shined through during broadcasts. He will certainly be missed during ESPN games, but at the age of 91, Brown has earned this well-deserved retirement and celebration.
ESPN’s Shams Charania was ‘floored’ when learning of Lakers’ trade for Luka Doncic
One of Hubie Brown’s colleagues at ESPN, Shams Charania, broke the news of the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers. And just like everybody else, Charania was surprised to learn the deal was going down.
“There’s every emotion you can think of. There’s anxiety, there’s nervousness, there’s being scared, there’s being floored, stunned,” Charania said.
“I had gotten wind a few days prior that these two teams might be talking, but you never think it’s around Luka Dončić and Anthony Davis.
“In today’s world and society and sports, everything is rumored, everything ideated by everyone. So, for this to happen, really bang-bang the way it did, obviously Rob Pelinka and Nico Harrison did an amazing job keeping this tight lipped.”
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