Hubie Brown starts as Memphis coach

MEMPHIS, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- Hubie Brown was introduced Wednesday as the new coach of the Memphis Grizzlies and said that, "when Jerry West calls you, I hope you know you listen up."

Out of coaching since 1987, the 69-year-old Brown appeared at a news conference one day after taking over the floundering Grizzlies. He replaces Sidney Lowe, who resigned Tuesday after the team's 0-8 start.

Given "numerous opportunities" to return to coaching, Brown finally accepted when he was contacted by West, Memphis' president of basketball operations who built a dynasty with the Los Angeles Lakers.

One of West's selling points had to be the youthful talent on the roster.

"We have an abundance of young talent with potential to become really good players," Brown said. "We need to develop some team chemistry and an enthusiasm to play defense for 48 minutes must be developed."

Brown has other ties to the franchise. His son, Brendan, has been an advance scout with the team for the last two years.

The Grizzlies have been the worst team in the NBA since entering the league in 1995, never winning more than 23 games in a season. They have matched the worst start in franchise history this year.

Lowe resigned one day after the Grizzlies were beaten by the Golden State Warriors, 108-101, in a game matching two of the NBA's worst teams.

The Grizzlies fell behind by 25 points and were booed off the court by the crowd of 10,112 -- the smallest to attend a Grizzlies game since the franchise relocated here last year.

West turned to someone he said, "is one of the premier basketball minds in the business" and the "ultimate teacher." Brown did not avoid the issue of needing to teach a team that has five rookies and three players with one year of pro experience.

Brown said the team would undergo a "crash course," practicing twice daily for two days before hosting the Timberwolves on Friday.

"As the season continues, we will build upon a foundation by continuing to teach, developing chemistry between two units and improving defensively as a team," Brown said.

Among Brown's students will be reigning Rookie of the Year Pau Gasol, first-round pick Drew Gooden, second-year forward Shane Battier and erratic point guard Jason Williams.

"The great ones are always coachable and produce under pressure," said Brown, who coached Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson in his first season as an assistant with Milwaukee in 1972. "Winning is always the bottom line with the great ones."

Brown is considered a traditional coach and the player-coach relationship has changed dramatically since his days on the sidelines. However, one of his colleagues believes he will do just fine.

"I've never cared about whether they've liked it or not," said Jerry Sloan, another traditional coach who has been guiding the Utah Jazz since Brown last worked as a coach. "Basketball is important to him and he wants to see it played the right way. He has a great knowledge of the game."

Since being fired by the New York Knicks in 1987, Brown has worked in television, most recently as the lead analyst with TNT. He also has conducted coaching clinics around the world.

"So a great new challenge is of interest of me," he said.