nydailynews:Larry Brown entered a Memphis hospital Tuesday night after complaining of chest pains and was released within two hours following a thorough examination, the Daily News has learned.
The Knicks confirmed last night that their medical staff had arranged for Brown to meet with doctors at the hospital for precautionary reasons and that the 65-year-old coach was given a clean bill of health. According to one source, it is believed that Brown was suffering from indigestion. After being released, Brown was seen talking to a group of Knicks' officials, including Garden chairman James Dolan, in the hotel lobby where the team was staying.
A leading New York physician, who did not examine Brown, said yesterday that if the symptoms were serious, doctors would have erred on the side of caution and kept him overnight for observation.
The Knicks stressed that the problem was nothing serious and that the pain is unrelated to a bladder condition that forced him to miss 17 games last season with the Detroit Pistons.
On Wednesday night, Brown showed no signs of discomfort or fatigue and appeared as active and as animated as ever in the Knicks' 101-99 loss to the Grizzlies. Yesterday, Brown conducted a two-hour practice in Greenburgh and he will be on the bench tonight when the Knicks host the Chicago Bulls. He was unavailable for comment last night.
Brown's health has been an issue since the Knicks signed him to a five-year, $50 million contract. In December, Brown revealed that he will need additional surgery to correct a bladder condition, a procedure that he has decided to postpone until after the season.
Brown's health was a major factor in the Pistons' decision to severe ties with the Hall of Fame coach last July. Brown underwent hip surgery in November 2004 and four months later he needed surgery for a bladder problem.
During training camp, Brown did not entirely rule out the possibility that he would have to miss games this season in order to receive medical care. So far, he has coached all 57 games.
The stress of a 15-42 season isn't good for any coach, especially in New York. That's one reason why there already are rumblings that Brown will become so frustrated with the state of the Knicks that he will walk away at season's end.
Brown, however, dismissed that theory on Wednesday, saying, "I'm in this for the long haul."
Over the previous three seasons, Brown coached well into the summer with the Pistons and USA Basketball. But with the Knicks' season ending on April 18, Brown will receive a much-needed five months of rest before returning for training camp.
During Dolan's three-day visit with the Knicks, he met with Brown and told the coach to just concentrate on coaching the team and that Isiah Thomas would bring in the players he needs. Dolan, who was effusive in his praise of Thomas during an interview with reporters on Wednesday, said he has no plans to make a change with his team president or his head coach.
"I think that our team has a lot of talent," Dolan said on Wednesday. "It's very young and Larry is not going to be able to wave a magic wand and turn them into the Detroit Pistons, at least not in a period of a couple of months.
"But he certainly has a track record of working with players and turning even teams that are not necessarily the most talented teams into great teams. You have to have some faith in that if you're me."
