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Detroit Pistons Send Message to NBA Champion Head Coach

The Detroit Pistons had a shoutout for Larry Brown.
Justin Grasso|
Jan 16, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; (Left to Right) Larry Brown and William Wesley and Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton and Mehmet Okur and Chauncy Billups and Rasheed Wallace and Ben Wallace and Lindsey Hunter pose for a photo after the game against the Golden State Warriors at The Palace of Auburn Hills. The Pistons won 113-95. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-Imagn Images
Jan 16, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; (Left to Right) Larry Brown and William Wesley and Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton and Mehmet Okur and Chauncy Billups and Rasheed Wallace and Ben Wallace and Lindsey Hunter pose for a photo after the game against the Golden State Warriors at The Palace of Auburn Hills. The Pistons won 113-95. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-Imagn Images | Raj Mehta-Imagn Images

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Detroit Pistons

On Saturday, the Detroit Pistons’ X account shared a message directed to the franchise’s former head coach, Larry Brown.

With Brown turning 84 on Saturday, the Pistons wanted to wish him a Happy Birthday.

Check out the Pistons’ post on social media:

The legendary head coach didn’t spend too much time in Detroit with the Pistons during his coaching tenure, but it’s hard to overlook his short stint.

After wrapping up a six-year run as the head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, Brown joined the Detroit Pistons for the 2003-2004 NBA season.

That year, the Pistons finished 54-28, which placed them third in the Eastern Conference, trailing the New Jersey Nets and the Indiana Pacers.

The Pistons would draw a first-round matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks. The series turned into a gentleman’s sweep, with the Pistons taking down Milwaukee 4-1. In the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Pistons took on the second-seeded Nets.

A seven-game series finished with the Pistons knocking out the Nets. Detroit got hot and put together another upset in the Eastern Conference Finals as they defeated the Indiana Pacers 4-2.

Against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Pistons dominated the series with a 4-1 victory. Detroit won the NBA Finals under Brown during his first season with the team. They nearly repeated the following year but came up short against the San Antonio Spurs.

Brown left Detroit after two successful seasons. After getting his contract bought out by the organization, the head coach signed with the New York Knicks. His stint in New York was even shorter, lasting just one season.

A three-year run in Charlotte was Brown’s final stretch in the NBA before he took on a coaching job in the NCAA with SMU.

Since Brown, the Pistons have had ten coaches run the team. They hope the latest hire, J.B. Bickerstaff, can help get the organization back on track and find similar success as Brown’s tenure.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia

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