Brett Brown is a strong man. I couldn’t do his job. Gregg Popovich couldn’t do his job. Phil Martelli wouldn’t wish Brett Brown’s job on his worst enemies. But by all accounts, including his own, Brett Brown likes his job.

Sure, I bet he sleeps a little worse these days, and maybe some headaches last longer than usual, but he’s a player developer and he’s doing some actual work here. He has no time for your nonsense. We’ve seen how he deals with situations like this before – hi Howard – and it’s not the first time someone’s tried to issue a call for help on Brown’s behalf like he’s got Locked-in syndrome. Blink twice if you want to be fired, Brett. But this take, from the Guardian, might be the worst.

white fang

The franchise should move on to save Brown from the Sixers. By all accounts, the former Spurs assistant is a good man and a great basketball mind. He is a man who would never quit in the face of a challenge or resign as head coach, no matter how dire things get in Philadelphia. And so the Sixers must kick him out of their facility and change the locks. They must let their caged bird fly.

Using a quote Brown said right when he was hired, the Guardian claims Brown must have been kept in the dark about the future:

“I’ve always been a fan of Thaddeus [Young]. I see that potential in Evan [Turner]. You pay attention to Spencer [Hawes]. The pieces that are in place are workable pieces. I look forward to working with them.”

Maybe he didn’t know the full extent, but even if he did, did you expect him to say, “The team I’ve been handed is a smoldering dumpster fire, these guys will never play a major role here or anywhere else, and I can’t wait until they’re gone”? But don’t worry, it gets worse:

“Three seasons later, are they any closer to winning anything with their current nucleus? Forget a championship. A single game?”

Technically it’s two seasons later, by the way. Are they closer to winning a championship? No. Not at all. Are they in a better position to make themselves better for longer than they were before? Absolutely. Are they closer to winning a single game? Shut the hell up.


Look, these last two games have been brutal with a capital BRUTAL. No team of basketball players, no matter age or level, should turn the ball over nearly 60 times in two games (!!!). That’s embarrassing. But it’s not like Brett is poo-pooing it. He gets it. It hits him deep. After last night’s game, he did not hold back: “That’s not the Philadelphia 76ers. Usually we leave games and we say these guys work and they see games through.”

And Martelli is impressed with Brown’s strong front.On Angelo Cataldi’s show:

“Stay the course. I find it unbelievable, Brett Brown’s interaction with the media, that he doesn’t crack. And he talks about teaching and he talks about growing, talks about keeping them together.”

And that’s exactly why we shouldn’t feel bad for Brown. As hard as it must be for him, he’s the best man for the job. But still, some feel the need to get up on their high-horse and pat poor Brett on the head. The Guardian continues:

Absolutely everyone feels sorry for Brown. Everyone except Brown himself and the Sixers front office, apparently. Brown is only 54 years old. He still has good years left that he can use to contribute to another NBA team. A real NBA team.

Do it, Sixers. Do it now. Fire Brett Brown. He can be free from his nightmare and you can bring in a worse coach to help you further bottom out. It’s a win-win. In fact, it could be the only two wins you get all year.

So, you want the Sixers to White Fang him (or Air Bud, if you’d rather)? To send him away for his own good because you know he’s better off without you?

Look, Brett Brown doesn’t need your help. He’s fine. He’s, within the expectations, doing a good job. Will he get his contract extended once the team is in “attempting” mode? I don’t know. He should. He’s earned that. But he doesn’t need your help. He’s not a child. But if you want to send him some scotch or a spa package or something, people are working on that.