CLEVELAND (AP) -The Cavaliers have struggled to stay on top of the Eastern Conference after coach Mike Brown helped take the team to its first NBA finals last season.
Team owner Dan Gilbert showed his support for Brown hasn’t wavered by giving him a two-year contract extension Monday that will keep him with the club through the 2010-11 season.
“This is a way for us to show him that we believe in him and that we look for more great things to come,” general manager Danny Ferry said.
Brown is in his third season with the Cavaliers, who were swept in the finals by San Antonio. His contract was to expire after the 2008-09 season.
Ferry and Gilbert had been discussing an extension since the summer for Brown, a first-time coach when he joined the Cavaliers who now has a franchise-best .592 winning percentage (119-82).
However, the Cavaliers (19-18) have had an up-and-down start this season, with restricted free agents Anderson Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic holding out in contract disputes and superstar LeBron James missing six games because of a finger injury.
“We’ve had our challenges this year with injuries, contract situations, etc., and we’ve done a pretty good job overall of battling through those,” Ferry said. “We’ve kind of had the mantra, and it was started by Mike, of a no excuses team, and that’s something Mike and LeBron and our players have all hung onto.”
In addition to facing opponents without James and Varejao for extended stretches, Brown also has had issues with players like reserves Damon Jones and Ira Newble, who refused to play late in the Cavaliers’ Christmas Day win against Miami.
The contract extension leaves no doubt what the front office thinks of the defensive-minded Brown.
“It sends a message to everyone that Mike is our coach,” Ferry said. “We believe in what he’s doing.”
James, who credited Brown with helping him become a better defensive player, felt the extension was a positive not just for Brown, but the team.
“It’s some security for himself and our organization,” James said. “He’s done a great job. He’s won a lot of ball games for us.”
Brown, who previously was an assistant with Indiana and San Antonio, downplayed how the extension would affect him.
“No matter how much money I make the bottom line for me is I want to win a championship,” he said. “I’m thankful. I feel blessed. I’m excited about it. My family is excited about it. But it doesn’t change my thought process.”
Add A Comment