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fishmike
Posts: 53903
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Joined: 7/19/2002
Member: #298
USA
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Knicks, Brown reach settlement on contract
By BRIAN MAHONEY, AP Basketball Writer
October 30, 2006
NEW YORK (AP) -- Larry Brown and the New York Knicks reached a settlement on the remainder of the fired coach's contract Monday night, a week before NBA commissioner David Stern was expected to rule on the dispute.
"At my request, the New York Knicks and Larry Brown have agreed to a compromise resolution of the dispute between them," Stern said in a statement. "Neither the club nor Larry have any future obligation to each other and have assured me, in response to my direction and request, that there will be no further public discussion of the matter."
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Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
Brown was fired in June after going 23-59 -- one of the worst seasons for both the Hall of Fame coach and the franchise -- in the first year of a five-year contract worth approximately $50 million. Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan withheld payment of the rest of the deal, saying the Knicks had cause because the coach violated terms of his contract, which had about $40 million remaining.
A clause in Brown's contract made Stern the final arbiter in case of any disputes -- the first time Dolan gave such a stipulation to a coach, he said.
Brown and the Knicks testified for more than 15 hours before Stern earlier this month, and the commissioner said last week that he expected to make a ruling during the week of Oct. 7.
But he convinced the sides to settle before that, and both sides accepted the ruling.
"The press release speaks for itself," said Joe Glass, Brown's agent. "Whatever they said is fine."
Knicks spokesman Jonathan Supranowitz said the Knicks had no comment.
Isiah Thomas has replaced Brown as coach of the Knicks, who open their season Wednesday at Memphis.
"winning is more fun... then fun is fun" -Thibs
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10/31/2006 7:34 AM