A still-bitter Larry Brown crushed Knicks general manager Steve Mills in a radio interview Monday, saying Mills “has no clue” and questioned the timing of the Phil Jackson hire during a diatribe against the franchise.
Brown, who is close with coach Mike Woodson, has been vocal all season in support of his former Pistons assistant. Brown coached the Knicks for one season in 2005-06 before getting fired. A messy legal battle ensued.
“Think about this,” Brown said on SiriusXM. “They fired Steve Mills. I don’t know what he knows about the sport, to be honest with you. I was with him. Isiah [Thomas] knows a lot. Isiah’s a bright guy. I don’t agree with the way he treats people, but he was a bright guy. Steve Mills has no clue. They fired [Glen] Grunwald, who was tremendous. They told him they couldn’t get any older players. They didn’t make any changes as the season went on and there were some opportunities to do that.”
Brown took issue with the timing of Jackson’s hiring as president with Woodson still head coach. Woodson is expected to be let go after the season with the Knicks’ playoff chances now an extreme long shot. Brown, now the coach at SMU, said he’s “sick” over the Woodson situation.
“You don’t bring somebody in in the middle of the year and basically let Mike Woodson feel like he’s not even part of this,” Brown said. “You’re still trying to make the playoffs. They were on a run. And I get tickled, when they win and Phil Jackson is in the stands [like] he won the game.”
Brown said the Knicks should have hired Jackson to coach and put Woodson out of his misery.
Carmelo Anthony declined comment on the matter.
“They probably made a great hire and if that is a great hire, and he’s the greatest coach there is — which, I think a lot of people would agree with that — let him coach,” Brown said. “That’s the way the Knicks get better and give Mike a chance to leave graciously.”
Ex-Knick Spencer Haywood was the first player to jump from high school to the NBA, and now commissioner Adam Silver has Haywood’s full support in attempting to increase the age limit for the draft and abolish so-called “one-and-done’’ college careers.
In an interview with USA Today, Haywood listed some busts of high school players jumping to the pros and had Tyson Chandler on his list. Others named were Kwame Brown, DeSagana Diop and Eddy Curry.
Chandler was surprised to be named by Haywood.
“That’s his opinion,’’ Chandler said. “Absolutely no regrets. Look at my accomplishments. I won an NBA championship, two gold medals, All-Star, Defensive Player of the Year, All-NBA. What more could you expect? I don’t care what Spencer Haywood says.’’