Story by Lauren Baddour
Growing up in Brooklyn, Larry Brown never imagined playing basketball at a collegiate or professional level. His dreams were much more humble; he simply wanted the chance to play ball at the park across the street with students from local colleges. He was happy to hang around all day, running back and forth from his mother’s bakery to supply everyone with juice and soda, until his mom blinked the porch lights signaling it was time to go home. If the older guys were ever a man down, he was the first to jump at the opportunity to play.
Brown’s drive and competitive edge eventually carried him to Final Fours and NCAA titles, Olympic gold medals and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He has enjoyed a level of success few others have, but he has never grown complacent. His hunger followed him from his local park in Brooklyn, throughout his long and well-traveled coaching career, and finally to his last coaching gig with the Memphis Tigers from which he retired a year ago at the age of 82.
Today he still enjoys attending practices and offering words of wisdom to teams.
“I want to teach,” Brown told the Kansas City Star. “I’ve got to figure a way to continue doing this in some capacity.”
Brown’s early experiences on the court gave him a head start compared to others his age, and he began to play for his high school’s team at age 12. With no uniforms small enough to fit him, he competed in a swimsuit rather than wait for a growth spurt.
When Brown arrived at UNC’s campus in 1960, out-of-state students made up just 4% of the total student population. Freshmen were ineligible to play on the varsity team – Brown played on the junior varsity team for one year – and the Tar Heels competed in Woollen Gym, a small arena that holds a fifth of UNC’s current stadium capacity.
Of all his moments on campus, Brown says putting on his UNC varsity jersey for the first time was one of the most special.
“When you wear that jersey, the expectations are so great and you have a great deal of responsibility to carry on and conduct yourself the right way,” Brown said. “You represent this program and it means so much. That’s pressure, but the right kind.”
Brown enjoys visiting the current team today. Former players who return to campus say they believe Carolina basketball is a family, and they share a mentality of “paying it forward.” One of those returning Tar Heels is Dave Hanners, former assistant UNC and NBA coach and close friend of Brown.
“There’s no other college program where people from the 2020’s know people from the ‘70’s,” said Hanners. “I remember coaching in the league and seeing the jealousy of other people because they wanted that and they didn’t have it.”
It was just after college that Brown was chosen to represent Team USA in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. He once again was honored to represent the name on the front of his jersey.
“I would think the first time I put a varsity (UNC) jersey on was similar to the first time I put a USA jersey on,” Brown said. “When you put on a Carolina jersey you know you’re a part of a program and all of the tradition here…but when you have an opportunity to represent your country, that’s a whole different level.”
At the time, professional players were ineligible to compete on behalf of their countries. Teams consisted of the best amateur and collegiate athletes available. While the United States had never lost a gold medal, this team realized they were considered to be underdogs.
“The expectations were great, but the opportunity was even greater,” Brown said.
Leading up to the games, the team spent a month training at Pearl Harbor. They stayed in bunk beds in one large room in the Marine barracks. The set up allowed for quick friendships and deep connections as well as self-reflection and gratitude. It reminded the team of what they represent on the court.
Their patriotism and determination carried them all the way to the gold medal match on Oct. 23, 1964. The team defeated the Soviet Union 73-59.
Brown then returned to Chapel Hill where Coach Dean Smith hired him to manage the freshman team. One of his first roles was to narrow down the nearly 100 athletes who showed up for tryouts to a workable number. Brown, who holds his players to the same high standards he holds himself, decided to test them by raising the baskets and running a difficult physical practice. After that, Smith approached him to ask ‘Larry, do you want the good news or the bad news?’.
“I like good news, coach,” Brown said.
“You’re probably gonna have 15-20 guys at practice tonight,” Smith said.
“Isn’t that what you wanted me to do?” Brown asked.
“Yeah, but the bad news is the five scholarships parents called wanting to transfer,” Smith said.
Brown remembers this moment fondly, and never let up on his players. His team eventually boasted three Final Four appearances, three ACC Regular Season Championships and three ACC Tournament Championships.
“He’s one of the most demanding coaches that I’ve ever been around,” said Phil Ford, former UNC point guard and fellow Olympian. “But, he’s one of the most fair coaches I’ve been around.”
Over the next several decades, Brown produced even greater success, both as a player and coach.
His competitive nature transcends his career and finds its way into his hobbies and social life as well. Friends say he’s a force to be reckoned with on the golf course, and enjoys upping the pressure with a friendly wager. Hanners recalls a time he and Brown took on Michael Jordan and one of MJ’s friends.
“I don’t know how much I won that day,” Hanners said. “But if I’d lost I wouldn’t have had the money to pay for it.”
The mantra of never being satisfied is one that’s drilled into young, hopeful athletes everywhere. But it’s not something that can be taught. It’s an innate mentality that Brown embodies every single day and frequently verbalizes.
“Why would you want to do something and not be special and want the best?”
