Reports: Brown files grievance against Knicks

Warhawk

The cake is a lie.
Staff member
#1
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2503905

Former New York Knicks coach Larry Brown filed a grievance with the NBA against the team, saying New York owes him the remainder of his salary after firing him, according to published reports Thursday. Brown, who says the Knicks should pay him $40 million, filed the grievance Wednesday, the New York Daily News and New York Post reported. The Knicks, who fired the coach after one season, claim they're not obligated to pay the full amount because Brown violated terms of his contract.
The Knicks contend Brown broke Madison Square Garden policy with his roadside interviews, a decision the team believes could save them millions.
Brown's contract had a clause that designates NBA commissioner David Stern as the arbitrator in any financial dispute he has with the Knicks.
"I've been requested by both sides to help arbitrate," Stern told the New York Post. "I don't think there's any timetable to what we're doing."
In Brown's lone season in New York, the Knicks stumbled to a 23-59 record -- second worst in the NBA and matching the most losses in club history. But Brown's public feud with Stephon Marbury and criticism of other players may have angered owner James Dolan more than the losing.
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#2
I wish them luck. Larry Brown should NOT be able to hold the team ransom for an additional $40 million.
 
#3
I wish them luck. Larry Brown should NOT be able to hold the team ransom for an additional $40 million.
indeed.

it does suck, however, that somebody must come out on top of this situation. i, personally, would love to see both sides lose. like the nba finals this year, however, that cannot happen. somebody has to win. i don't want to see dolan and thomas, idiots in their own rights, come out smelling like roses when the nba rules in their favor, and brown doesn't see a cent of his remaining $40 million. i also don't wanna see brown, who is the ultimate overrated and overpaid cry-baby of a coach, walk away with $40 million that he doesn't deserve because of a clear breach of contract. there is likely no provision in his contract that says that if he intentionally tanks a season because he didn't get his way or because he wanted to prove a point, he won't receive the remainder of his salary. however, it is clear that he overstepped his bounds and made irrational and unprofessional coaching decisions. the public criticisms of his players and GM are just icing on the cake. one could call it sabotage if they wanted to, but what it all boils down to is this: he didn't do the job that he was paid millions to do. that should be a violation of some team policy or another, and will hopefully result in him not getting his way once again.
 

Warhawk

The cake is a lie.
Staff member
#5
indeed.

it does suck, however, that somebody must come out on top of this situation. i, personally, would love to see both sides lose. like the nba finals this year, however, that cannot happen. somebody has to win. i don't want to see dolan and thomas, idiots in their own rights, come out smelling like roses when the nba rules in their favor, and brown doesn't see a cent of his remaining $40 million. i also don't wanna see brown, who is the ultimate overrated and overpaid cry-baby of a coach, walk away with $40 million that he doesn't deserve because of a clear breach of contract. there is likely no provision in his contract that says that if he intentionally tanks a season because he didn't get his way or because he wanted to prove a point, he won't receive the remainder of his salary. however, it is clear that he overstepped his bounds and made irrational and unprofessional coaching decisions. the public criticisms of his players and GM are just icing on the cake. one could call it sabotage if they wanted to, but what it all boils down to is this: he didn't do the job that he was paid millions to do. that should be a violation of some team policy or another, and will hopefully result in him not getting his way once again.
Have the Knicks forced to donate the $40 mil (or whatever was remaining on the contract, I don't know the #s) to the same charities that technical/flagrant foul penalties go to and not given to Larry. A win-win for everyone!
 
#6
The Knicks owe him the money, he had a contract. They were offering him a buyout but he didn't want it - presumably he wanted to remain with the team. If they had cause they wouldn't have offered a buyout.
 
#7
I think Larry Brown wins in this one. You can tell a player to not come back any time you want, but you're going to have to pay him the rest of his contract. That goes for coaches to.

Barring that the Knicks have any proveable an substantial evidence proving he broke any policies that made his contract null and void, which I don't think they do, he gets his money. That's just how it works.