91-year-old Hubie Brown to officiate his last NBA match
Retired NBA coach and veteran analyst Hubie Brown will make his final appearance as a television commentator this season.
During an episode of the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast on Thursday, ESPN president Burke Magnus revealed that the 91-year-old Brown will provide his expert analysis to viewers one last time later this year. The exact date has yet to be determined.
\"We are granting Hubie one last opportunity to commentate on a game,\" Magnus stated. \"He deserves it. We have the utmost respect for him. It's truly remarkable that he continues to call games at the age of 90+. I don't want to be intentionally vague, but we will be honoring Hubie during the regular season at some point, and we will send him off in style.\"
This recognition will bring some solace to what has been a difficult year for Brown, who lost his wife Claire at the age of 87 in June and his son Brendan, a former NBA assistant coach and New York Knicks broadcaster, at the age of 54 earlier this month due to health complications.
Brown, a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, began his coaching career in 1972 as an assistant with the Milwaukee Bucks. He then led the Kentucky Colonels to the ABA championship in 1975. He went on to serve as head coach for the Atlanta Hawks (1976-81), New York Knicks (1982-87), and Memphis Grizzlies (2002-04), amassing a record of 528-559.
Throughout his career, Brown coached legendary players such as Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dan Issel, Patrick Ewing, and Pau Gasol, all of whom are also members of the Hall of Fame.
After being fired by the Hawks in the 1981-82 season, Brown transitioned into broadcasting and took breaks from his commentary duties when he accepted coaching positions in the NBA, but always returned to the booth.
The two-time NBA Coach of the Year has worked for various networks including CBS, TNT, ESPN, USA Network, and has also provided analysis for select Los Angeles Clippers games over the years.
Last year, at the age of 90, Brown was named Media Person of the Year by The Athletic.