Former Grizzlies' coach, legendary NBA broadcaster Hubie Brown to call final game on Sunday

Former Grizzlies’ coach, legendary NBA broadcaster Hubie Brown to call final game on Sunday

Posted by author February 4, 2025 NBA

Spread the love

Hubie Brown, a basketball legend, will see his career end on Sunday.

In December, it was announced that Brown would call his final game on Sunday, Feb. 9, when the Milwaukee Bucks host the Philadelphia 76ers. With the day fast approaching, the former Memphis Grizzlies coach spoke to The Athletic in an interview about his final call.

“Guys say to me: ‘How do you feel when you get up? You’re 91 years old,’” Brown told The Athletic. “I tell them I’ve never awakened any day and said, ‘Boy, I’m glad I’m 91!’ I’ve never given age a major thought because the business still wanted me to be part of their presentation. This is all humbling.

“When I look back, it’s been the fastest 50 years of being in the NBA as a coach and as a television person. On Sunday, I want to be at the top of my game. You want to be able to do justice to the game itself, and then also for the players and coaches that are going to be in the game.”

The 91-year-old will be celebrated for 50 years as an NBA coach and national television and radio analyst. During the broadcast, he will be returned to where he began his coaching career as an assistant coach with the Bucks in 1972.

Brown coached in the NBA for 28 years, including stints with the Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks, and Memphis Grizzlies. He won NBA Coach of the Year honors in 1978 and 2004, his final year with the Grizzlies.

In 2005, Brown was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. After retiring from coaching in 2004, he signed with ABC and ESPN and has called games for the networks since. In between coaching stints, he worked for CBS Sports and TNT Sports. Brown called the 2005 and 2006 NBA Finals for ESPN/ABC.

On June 7, 2024, Brown’s wife of 63 years, Claire Frances Brown, died. His son, Brendan Brown, died from health complications at 54 last November.

“Losing Claire and then Brendan,” Brown said. “It’s been a tough couple of months.”

Hubie Brown with Memphis Grizzlies

Jerry West hired Brown to coach the Grizzlies despite his 16-year absence from coaching after the Knicks fired him ahead of the 1986-87 season. Brown, who was 69 and the oldest coach, took over for Sidney Lowe after the season’s 0-8 start during the 2002-03 season.

Following Brown’s hiring, the Grizzlies finished 28-36, the franchise’s most wins in a season. Memphis’s turnaround continued the following season, in the 2003-04 season, as the Grizzlies finished 50-32 and reached the postseason for the first time. Brown earned NBA Coach of the Year honors for the second time in his career. His first came in 1978 with the Hawks.

However, Brown resigned from the Grizzlies on Thanksgiving after a 5-7 start to the 2004-05 season, citing health issues.