SAN ANTONIO — Before Mike Brown, there was Larry Brown.
Twenty-three years ago, Larry Brown was a veteran head coach who took over a Pistons team that had just lost in the Eastern Conference Finals. And in his first season, Larry Brown guided Detroit to a shocking NBA title by upsetting the Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant Lakers.
In an interview with The Post, the Naismith Hall of Famer noted the similarities between not only the coaching situation, but connections in personnel, personalities and playing style.
The 2004 Pistons incorporated a community style led by a cerebral point guard named Chauncey Billups. The 2026 Knicks certainty have an identified star — Jalen Brunson — but the similarly cerebral point guard didn’t receive a single MVP vote this year.
