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| Hazleton Standard-Speaker, 11MAY2004 |
"Hazleton Standard-Speaker, Tuesday, May 11, 2004
Commenrtary [sic]
Memphis coach Hubie Brown has local roots, Speaking of Sports [by] Ray Saul
When former Ebervale and Jeddo resident HUBIE BROWN was named head coach of the NBA Memphis Grizzlies by general manager JERRY WEST, the media types immediately pointed out that he would be the oldest coach in the league (he's now 70) and that he had been out of active coaching for 15 years.
All that aside, Brown last year took a franchise that perennially lost more than 50 games a season, including 60 or more four times, and quickly began to turn it around.
This season, under Brown, the Grizzlies finished 50-32 and made the NBA playoffs for the first time ever. Vancouver was granted a franchise in 1995-96 and the club moved to Memphis in 2001-02 and retained the nickname. The Grizzlies lost to the San Antonio Spurs in four straight, but won more games by far than any other Grizzly team.
In past years, Brown coached on the high school and college levels. He coached the New York Knicks to the NBA playoffs twice and the Atlanta Hawks three times.
Brown's parents were CHARLES BROWN and ANNA BRISLIN BROWN. The family moved to Elizabeth, N.J., when Charles found a job there. Hubie lettered in basketball at Niagara and played with the Hazleton Hawks in the Eastern Pro League.
His sister Genevieve married JOHN HOOPER. Daughter CAROL (HOOPER) lives in Hazleton and her brother, JOHN HOOPER, lives in Cape Cod and Florida. Several cousins also live in the Hazleton area.
Because of the success of the team, the Grizzlies had an average attendance of 15,188 this season."
Absolutely love the misspelling of "commentary"! In an article that is supposed to bring "fame" to a small town, the small town screws up the section title! So very Hazleton!
So what's the connection? Is there a connection or is this another family tall-tale? Let's see what tomorrow's "Tuesday's Tale Tales" brings!
