By Bill Herenda (originally appeared on BillHerenda.com)
Below is a compilation of Coach Hubie Brown quotes and anecdotes from his ESPN broadcasts, lectures and podcast appearances listed below.
- “The cardinal rule of playoff basketball: Can you take care of your defensive board?”
- “The test of coaching: Can you get your best three players high percentage shots in their best areas against any defense?”
- “When you play at a slow pace, you must shoot a high percentage.”
- “When front court guys get switches they must force players to their weak hand.”
- “The teams that win the championship have three great players.”
- “Potential kills you maybe not during the season but during a seven game series.”
- “College level can hide two players that can’t defend. NBA can only hide one.” (Current way the game is played.)
- “January and February (in the NBA) are dog days. This is where you’re never an underdog if you’re a team with potential. Emerging teams can steal games because top teams are not paying attention.”
- “High School and college — coaches win all games and players lose games . . . NBA — players win every game, coaches lose every game.”
- “Against good defensive teams you must have a good transition game. They may be good defensively in the half court so you must take advantage of mismatches in transition, force turnovers, get out and run.”
- “If your man leaves to double, attack the glass.”
- “You must maximize every possession five minutes down.”
- “Kid, remember one thing; take everything that you like from what you’ve learned from me but make sure you take the things you don’t like and make it better when you put it in your system.” – Hubie Brown’s advice to Rick Pitino when leaving Knicks to go to Providence via The Pitino Press podcast December 4, 2018.
- “In an NBA season there are probably three or four games that you walk away, accept what happened and move on to the next game.”
- “Whenever you have hardships, teams play their best.”
- “The notoriety of a coach is directly proportional to his team’s execution under pressure.”
- “35 deflections, shoot 39 percent or greater, 95 percent of time you win.”
- ”Basketball is all about getting your key guys in comfortable areas where they can execute.”
- “Stop telling me that you got ’em open. You got ’em a good shot. Guy hasn’t made a shot from there in about five years.”
- “When was the last time you blocked a 3-point field goal attempt?”
- “Ten of you are going to love me . . . three of you are going to hate me. All of you are going to learn to be men of character, and play in the NBA ten plus years.” – Earl Watson recalling Hubie Brown’s first address as head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies on the Maybe I’m Crazy with Joy Taylor podcast .
- “The greatest sin a coach can commit is to allow kids to slide by. This goes for the classroom as well as the court.”
- “X & O’s aren’t worth a damn without a team. If your team isn’t with you it doesn’t matter what you draw up.”
- “You have to make players comfortable but more important understand distribution of shots and also areas of where each guy is comfortable.”
- “You must teach losing teams how to win and not worry about tough love . . . as you move along not everyone stays on the train.”
- “When two good teams play each other, the team that gets the most layups wins.”
- “The roll man is the rotation man’s responsibility.”
- “What’s missing in today’s game? Feeding the post when there’s a mismatch.”
- “If you get this game down to eight or 10 at the end of this quarter, you are in business here. I know that sounds crazy but that’s coach talk. Coaches never give up.”
- “Basketball is all about getting your key guys in comfortable areas where they can execute.”
- “You’re always a half step away from the street.” – Hubie Brown recalling advice from his father.
Bonus tidbits
Podcasts featuring Hubie Brown
- Hubie Brown with Richard Deitsch on the Sports Illustrated Media podcast
- Hubie Brown with Ricky Cobb on the Super 70s Sports podcast
- Hubie Brown on Chris Sheridan’s podcast
- Earl Watson recalling Hubie Brown’s first address as head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies on the Maybe I’m Crazy with Joy Taylor podcast
Hubie Brown’s definition of a closer
- Can he make the shot?
- Does he want the shot?
- Can he make free throws?
- Can he pass out of trap?
- If there is nothing can he create for himself?
Hubie’s late game scenario five things to know in a timeout *
- How many timeouts do we have left? – especially inbounds passer
- Break when ref hands ball to inbounds passer
- Are we in the penalty shooting free throws?
- What defense are we in? If we make? if we miss?
- Are we trapping first then fouling? Are we fouling right away?
*Always speak in the positive on the play
Advice Hubie received from the late Al Lobalbo, Father of “Ball, You, Man”
- First time they see you dictates tone
- Innovator, risk taker – keys to being good coach
- Don’t worry about what other people say about your style
- Be fair but be constructive
- Chew out kid, teach him before moving on
- Refrain from whistle – make them respect your voice
- Freeze them with your eyes
- Make them respect your appearance, voice, self, because you’re coming prepared and will stretch their potential
