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Larry Brown Said he “Blindsided” Scott O’Neil, and Iverson Should be Assistant G.M.
By Jim Adair
Published:
After yesterday’s delayed shouting match between legendary coach Larry Brown and Sixers CEO Scott O’Neil, Brown called in to Angelo Cataldi’s morning show this morning to offer this half apology:
“I didn’t mean to create a firestorm and couple things that were said, they didn’t exactly come out right. One, I have no problem with Brett Brown and I love him. He’s been involved with Gregg Popovich who’s family to me and I have unbelievable respect. I think a lot things that came out of my mouth, I was a little upset.”
Brown continued to explain to he was mainly upset about people he knows and loves not being kept on by the Sixers, namely former Director of Player Personnel Courtney Witte and and former GM Tony DiLeo. He also thinks Aaron McKie needs to be involved:
“If anybody deserved to be part of that franchise, I felt it was Aaron [McKie] and then I was really upset when Eric [Snow] and George [Lynch] and myself weren’t able to get to Allen’s retirement. And then, I’m concerned, I wanted Allen involved with that franchise in a real positive way and in an important way. So a lot of that stuff happened to come out, but at the end of the day, I want them to do well. I like David Blitzer [part Sixers owner] a lot, I know him. I know Brett, I want them to win. I do want to see them struggling.”
I understand that Larry wants AI involved in the franchise in a positive way, and I understand that he loves and respects him. But at some point, Larry has to stop babysitting Allen and pretending that he could actually be, as Larry mentioned, an Assistant General Manager. And finally, Larry says he spoke to Scott O’Neil yesterday:
“I was kind of upset with, a little bit of some of the stuff he said about me, but you know, he had that right. I guess I kind of blind-sided him. I didn’t realize it was gonna come out the way it did. But at the end of the day, we have the greatest fans there. They support the team. It’s a basketball community, you know, when you got Sonny Hill and all the great college programs there and the high schools. I just want, I want them to do well. I guess that’s my point.”
We can just all go ahead and check back in with Larry when the Sixers are 10-30. You can listen to Larry’s whole call, and his pleas for openness from Sam Hinkie, over here.
When he's not writing about sports here or ranting about them on Twitter, Jim is probably watching X-Files on Netflix or drinking a beer somewhere. Jim has nothing against hockey, it's just not his style. He once met Duce Staley at a Sixers game.