Brown Cites Spirit, Health in Retiring

The grind of the NBA finally got to Hubie Brown, who at 71 had neither the fervor for the job nor the good health needed to remain the coach of the Memphis Grizzlies.

Brown called it quits only seven months after being selected coach of the year, citing the rigors of the day-to-day life in the league and a health issue he described as non-catastrophic.

“I need on a daily basis an energy and a stamina, and then with me it’s a spirit. But the key is spirit. See, the spirit is what gives you the passion on a daily basis,” he said in a 50-minute news conference in which every question received his typically lengthy answers.

“One day you wake up, you don’t have that, and that’s when you’ve got to understand that it’s a time you’ve got to walk.”

According to espn.com, Mike Fratello will meet with Memphis officials about possibly replacing Brown.

In the meantime, Lionel Hollins took over as interim coach.

In explaining his reasons, Brown pointed out that he had coached 188 games with the Grizzlies over slightly more than two years, which he equated to six years for a high school or college team.

The grind of seven-day workweeks and endless travel became more than he wanted to endure.

Brown led the Grizzlies to a franchise-best 50-32 record last season and the franchise’s first playoff appearance.

He said his medical condition, which he did not detail, was something that developed three weeks ago. He had an extensive physical before this season before deciding to return.

“I’ve had things come up that your body gives you a warning sign, and you’ll see. Until you get up there, you aren’t going to understand it,” Brown said.

Brown stepped down a day after the Grizzlies fell to 5-7 with a 93-84 loss to the Seattle SuperSonics. His career coaching record is 424-495, or 528-559 including ABA games.

Team President Jerry West, who had hoped Brown would stick around for another year with a team that just moved into a new arena, said it might be tough for him to stay without Brown.

“My future will be decided when I feel like he feels now,” said West, who came out of retirement himself in 2002 to take over the Grizzlies after 18 years as general manager of the Lakers.

Brown broke the news to the Grizzlies before they left Thursday night for Minnesota.

“My biggest regret is that I didn’t meet them when I was in my 40s and 50s because I had more to give than I do now because I was more alert, more astute, more observant and I saw more,” Brown said, “and I apologized to them because I met them too late in my life.”

The news shocked the Grizzlies, who spoke with reporters after a shoot-around in Minneapolis.

Bonzi Wells, who had a troubled career before Memphis picked him up in December in a trade with Portland, credited Brown with giving him back his spirit for the game.

“Just wanting to go out and work hard for somebody every day, that’s the way he made me want to play every day, and I’m going to miss that,” Wells said.

West also wants to keep Brown, the man he calls a “walking encyclopedia,” on in some capacity. Brown said he would return to speaking at coaching clinics.

If his health permits it, Brown, who left TNT to become coach of the Grizzlies, could be headed back to television. ABC Sports executive producer Mike Pearl will meet with Brown’s representatives next week.

However, it was Pearl, formerly Brown’s boss at TNT, who demoted Brown from full-time game analyst to studio analyst only before the 2002-03 season. That could be a sticking point, because Brown was unhappy with the move and mentioned it when he left to take the job with the Grizzlies.

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Minnesota center Michael Olowokandi was suspended by the team for a second game Friday night, one day after police used a stun gun to subdue him when he refused to leave a club.

Olowokandi was not with the Timberwolves for their game against the Grizzlies but will rejoin the team for Sunday’s game at Sacramento.

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Allan Houston of the New York Knicks took what he called “a huge step” toward his comeback, participating in a half-court scrimmage and setting next weekend as the possible date of his return from prolonged knee problems. Houston missed the playoffs and 13 of the final 14 regular-season games last season because of soreness that developed after he returned from surgery on his left knee.

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The Atlanta Hawks put guard Royal Ivey on the injured list and activated guard Donta Smith.... The Boston Celtics activated rookie guard Delonte West and put rookie forward Justin Reed on the injured list.