Brown: Coaching Future Depends on His Health

Larry Brown elaborated more Thursday on why he might not return as coach of the Detroit Pistons next season, with an unspecified health problem being the apparent culprit.

Brown’s ailment is related to his bladder and was a result of complications from hip replacement surgery, and he said his life has not been the same since Nov. 3 when difficulties developed.

“I don’t want to continue coaching with what I have to deal with,” Brown, 64, told Associated Press and the Pistons’ four newspaper beat writers. “If it’s cleared up, then we won’t even have an issue.”

Brown, who said he would check into a hospital a day or two after the season, said his condition was serious but not life-threatening and would probably require surgery.

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Wearing a mask to protect his broken left eye socket, Phoenix Sun swingman Joe Johnson went through a full practice and said he expected to play in Saturday’s Game 3 of the Western Conference finals against San Antonio. Johnson was hurt in a face-first crash to the floor in Game 2 against Dallas on May 11.

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The NBA and the players union will resume contract talks today in New York, a league spokesman said. The session will be the first since the NBA broke off talks May 18 claiming the union had reneged on previous agreements. The collective-bargaining agreement expires July 1. ... Memphis Grizzly executive Jerry West and NBA Deputy Commissioner Russ Granik are among nine named to an advisory panel chosen by USA Basketball to help managing director Jerry Colangelo pick the 2008 Olympic men’s team. Others include general managers Rod Thorn of New Jersey, Billy King of Philadelphia, Ernie Grunfeld of Washington and Bryan Colangelo of Phoenix, USA Basketball President Tom Jernstedt, former Olympic coach Dave Gavitt, and former NBA executive Wayne Embry.