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Hubie Brown, the legendary NBA coach and broadcaster, who started calling games in 1982, will be finishing up his distinguished career this season. Word came from ESPN president Burke Magnus during an episode of the SI Media with Jimmy Traina.
Magnus said he is not sure how many games the 91-year-old Brown will call this season, but that there would be a sendoff game at some point this season. Brown recently suffered a major loss when his 54-year-old son Brendan, also a former coach and broadcaster, died suddenly earlier this month.
In addition to broadcasting for ABC/ESPN, Brown also worked for Turner Sports and CBS. It was CBS where Brown started back in the early 80’s working both pro and college games.
Brown’s pro coaching career started in 1972 when he spent two seasons as an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks. He then moved over to the ABA as the head coach of the Kentucky Colonels where his team would win the league championship in his first season. In 1976 he came back to the NBA as the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks for five seasons.
After doing some broadcasting, he would return to the bench as head coach of the New York Knicks. Brown’s head coaching career would come to a halt after 16 games into the 1986-87 season. He would next coach in the NBA more than 15 years later when Jerry West brought him to Memphis as the head coach of the Grizzlies at the age of 69. Brown spent parts of three seasons with Memphis and coached his last game at the age of 71.
