Brown responds as reports swirl

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Addressing the media yesterday morning after his team's shootaround, Detroit Pistons coach Larry Brown offered a classic non-denial denial concerning reports that he has accepted an offer to become Cleveland's president of basketball operations. Those reports said Brown would join the Cavaliers once the Pistons' season ends. Last night, the defending NBA champions extended that date with a 106-96 victory over the Heat in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals to tie Miami, 2-2, in the best-of-seven series.

''I told [Detroit president of basketball operations] Joe [Dumars], I told these guys a bunch of times, I said it when the New York and the LA and all the other rumors came up, I want to coach here," said Brown, who usually doesn't talk to reporters the morning of games. ''This is where I want to be. When the season's over, I've got to get checked up and hopefully I'll be able to continue coaching. That's it. I have no other agenda at all.

''This has been going on forever. Why should I comment on speculation? I'm the coach here and I want to be here. I want to finish coaching here. That's it."

At turns irritated, exasperated, and confrontational, Brown circumvented the real issue by maintaining that he wanted to coach in Detroit if healthy enough to do so. He never addressed the possibility of not coaching at all and moving to the Cleveland front office. Brown has been suffering from bladder-related complications after hip surgery. He will visit the Mayo Clinic after the season for further treatment.

Brown took particular issue with the origin of the most recent stories, as well as those that once linked him to coaching jobs with the Knicks and Lakers. But while he questioned the legitimacy of sources referred to as ''NBA officials" and an ''Eastern Conference executive," Brown still did not directly deny he was destined for Cleveland.

Some reports went so far as to say that Brown approved of Cleveland hiring former Pacers assistant Mike Brown as head coach. The team could announce that move as early as today.

''Where did [the reports] come from with New York or LA when that happened?" said Brown. ''So it's always 'sources' and nobody identifies themselves. The bottom line is, you asked me, I told you, and nothing has changed since Nov. 3 when I had my first surgery. I want to be here. I want to coach. That's what I do. And hopefully after this season, I can be in a position to coach again.

''I am coaching here. All right? I have never changed in what I said. And why should I think about alternatives? I don't even want to think about alternatives. Why should I worry about Plan B when I'm worried about being healthy? Why should I even be thinking about that?

''I love this team; I think I've said that 100 times. Nobody wants to write that."

To hear Brown tell it, the Cleveland reports have not and will not become a distraction for Detroit. He has not discussed the matter with his players, nor does he see the need to. The Pistons agree, questioning why Brown should address ''rumors." In fact, when asked about the most recent reports, the players claimed not to know much.

''All you guys do is bring it up," Brown said. ''And then you're going to make an excuse if we lose the game in the fourth quarter. Yeah, we missed free throws because they were worried what I was going to do. All right? We got upset because of some of the stuff that happened on the court."

While Brown spoke expansively, the players were content to keep their comments short and vague.

''The bottom line is, can't nobody go out there and play for us," said Ben Wallace. ''We're in the Eastern Conference finals. We can't afford to let anything sidetrack us or get underneath our skin."