Knicks make offer to Brown
Larry Brown has been offered a contract by the New York Knicks to become the franchise’s 22nd head coach, his agent said Tuesday.
“An offer has been made, but that doesn’t mean a contract has been completed. Nothing has been finalized,” said Joe Glass, Brown’s longtime agent.
No formal announcement of Brown’s hiring was expected today, making Thursday the most likely day that Brown will sit at a podium alongside team president Isiah Thomas and owner James Dolan to make things absolutely, positively official.
“We’re making progress, and we’re continuing to talk at this point,” Knicks spokesman Joe Favorito said Tuesday.
Glass was not sure when contract negotiations might wrap up.
“Too hard to say,” said Glass, 80, whose son has been an agent for several NBA players. “There’s no time factor as far as we’re concerned. We’ll get it done as soon as we get it done.”
Trying to turn the rebuilding Knicks into a winner would be the latest challenge for Brown in a nomadic NBA coaching career that has included stints with the Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio Spurs, New Jersey Nets and Denver Nuggets. Brown also coached collegiately at Kansas and UCLA, and his first professional coaching job was with the Carolina Cougars of the ABA.
Brown was the coach of the 2004 U.S. Olympic team that finished a disappointing third. Part of that roster included Knicks guard Stephon Marbury, who would be reunited with Brown.
New York reportedly is willing to offer Brown a five-year contract worth between $50 million and $60 million.
“Sidney “Sonny” Hertzberg, an original member of the New York Knickerbockers and the leading scorer for the Boston Celtics in the 1949-50 season, died at his home in Woodmere, N.Y. He was 82.
Hertzberg died Monday, a Knicks spokesman said. His daughter, Lois Nevitt, told the New York Daily News the cause was heart failure.
Hertzberg had a stellar career at City College, where he was a teammate of longtime Knickerbocker head coach Red Holzman.
The 5-foot-9 guard scored a team-high 14 points in the Knicks’ first home game in 1946. He later played for the Washington Capitols and the Celtics, and was a scout and assistant coach for the Knicks.
Hertzberg is survived by his wife, Irene, a son-in-law, a daughter-in-law and four grandchildren.
Nuggets coach Karl to have prostate surgery
Denver Nuggets coach George Karl is scheduled to undergo prostate cancer surgery in Salt Lake City on Thursday.
Nuggets spokeswoman Teri Washington said that Karl, who was diagnosed with cancer near the end of last season, expects to be released from the hospital Sunday.
“They caught the cancer early. We’re anticipating a full recovery,” Washington said. “He’s upbeat and positive.”
Neither Karl nor Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe immediately returned phone messages.
Karl joined the Denver Nuggets on Jan. 27, with just over two months left in the season.
He took over for interim coach Michael Cooper, who had stepped in when coach Jeff Bzdelik was fired Dec. 28 after six straight losses and a 13-15 start.
Blazers sign 2004 draft pick Monia
The Trail Blazers signed Russian forward Sergei Monia, a first-round draft pick in 2004, to a multiyear contract.
Terms of the deal were not announced.
The 6-6, 220-pound native of Saratov, Russia, played last season for CSKA, which won the Russian National Championship and went to the European Final Four.
Monia averaged 5.3 points and 13.5 minutes in 20 games.
Monia was the 23rd overall selection in the 2004. Portland acquired the pick as part of the trade that sent Bonzi Wells to Memphis.