Bobcats News

"Bernie Bickerstaff, the original architect of the Charlotte Bobcats' basketball operation, is leaving the franchise, the Charlotte Observer has learned. Bickerstaff served the team's first three seasons as both coach and general manager/president of basketball operations. After the 2006-07 season, he stepped down, taking the title of executive vice president. In that role, Bickerstaff scouted extensively in preparation for the 2008 draft and acted as an adviser to managing partner Michael Jordan."

"I don't pretend to be an expert on many things; you don't want me looking under the hood of your car or fixing your pipes. But after covering the Charlotte Hornets and Charlotte Bobcats, each from Day One, and helping to cover the Carolina Panthers, I know expansion. So I know Bernie Bickerstaff got it... Bickerstaff, departing the Bobcats after initially serving as coach and general manager, shunned shortcuts. He left the franchise stronger. The public didn't appreciate that."

"My hero, Larry Brown, got another job last week. Granted, there are a lot of weeks when you could make that statement, including maybe even next week. But we're here to praise, not criticize. In case you thought you picked up an old newspaper, Brown was hired Tuesday to coach the Charlotte Bobcats, his ninth such job in the NBA. Brown is so ubiquitous, he coached the same team in two different leagues. Also, Brown is the only man to win NBA and NCAA titles. Amazingly, he did not do both simultaneously. Again, this is not a rant, but an ode to my insane jealousy. How Brown has conspired to collect so many addresses, not to mention disappearance fees from employers for not working, is testimony to Brown's knack for being flexible, opportunistic and portable."

"Post-mortem on what I can only hope is the last Charlotte Bobcats coaching change for a while: I'm glad managing partner Michael Jordan didn't dodge my question Tuesday on whether firing Sam Vincent and hiring Larry Brown were separate decisions. Jordan made it clear that Vincent would have been fired regardless of who was available to replace him. That needed to be said, after Vincent told the Observer on Saturday that he couldn't compete with Brown's star power."

"During his introduction Tuesday as the Charlotte Bobcats' new coach, Larry Brown started to talk about the players on the team he had previously coached. He mentioned Nazr Mohammed and Emeka Okafor, but then he abruptly stopped."

"On the day Bobcats part-owner Michael Jordan resurrected Larry Brown's career, the former Knicks coach looked back on his disastrous season in New York and took full responsibility... Brown likely will pluck Knicks assistant Dave Hanners for his coaching staff and possibly longshot Knicks candidate Herb Williams. Bobcats advisor Bernie Bickerstaff could head to the Knicks as Mark Jackson's top assistant."

"For the second time in Larry Brown's long coaching career, he'll be calling Charlotte home. Brown officially became the Charlotte Bobcats head coach at a Tuesday news conference after signing what Bobcats part-owner Michael Jordan said was a four-year contract."

"Charlotte Bobcats managing partner Michael Jordan let it slip Tuesday that he had signed Larry Brown to a four-year coaching contract. Four seasons is a long time for a 67-year-old who's hop-scotched around eight NBA franchises. Does he expect to stick around No. 9?"

"Nearly 30 years later, Michael Holton recalls it as a life-changing conversation. Holton was a high school All-American turned arrogant freshman (his term) at UCLA. The Bruins were struggling at 8-6, so coach Larry Brown pulled his young point guard into the office for a heart-to-heart."

"Everybody says the same thing about Larry Brown. (OK, one of the same things.) He's the best in the business at turning situations around. Steve Jones says it. He played for Brown all the way back with the Carolina Cougars, Brown's first coaching job in the now-defunct ABA."

"Maurice Cheeks has always considered Larry Brown a mentor and a good friend, which is why the current 76ers coach is glad that the former coach is back in the NBA."

"He has had the itch for some time now. That is why Larry Brown planted himself at Jay Wright's Villanova practices day after day after day, why Brown agreed to serve in some nebulous role with the 76ers for the last two years, why he went to the Final Four a few weeks ago. Brown wanted to coach, wanted to smell the game, wanted to teach, wanted to hear the rhythmic sounds of leather on hardwood."

"The Charlotte Bobcats have their Hall of Famer. Larry Brown has decided to accept the Bobcats' offer to become their coach, a long-time NBA executive confirmed early today. The Bobcats have called a 1 p.m. news conference to make a "major" announcement."

"If it turns out Larry Brown isn't a foregone conclusion to coach the Charlotte Bobcats, then another guy with Carolina ties would love the opportunity. They wouldn't even have to fly Paul Silas in for an interview. Former Charlotte Hornets coach Silas lives in the Lake Norman area, and he calls coaching the Bobcats his "dream job.'' He interviewed a year ago for the position Sam Vincent ultimately got."

"Perhaps the Bobcats are now admitting they made a mistake in not hiring a veteran coach since Larry Brown immediately became the leader to replace Vincent. On Sunday, a day after his firing, Vincent wasn't ready to confirm that will be the direction of a fran-chise he no longer leads on the court. But he was pretty clear that if Brown is the veteran coach the Bobcats hire as his replacement, he would fully understand why."

"The Charlotte Bobcats fired rookie coach Sam Vincent Saturday following a 32-50 season, and it appears they're considering replacing him with a 67-year-old Hall of Famer. Various NBA sources connected Larry Brown to the Bobcats' coaching opening Saturday."

"Less than a year after proclaiming Sam Vincent as the coach that would lead his ex-pansion team to the NBA playoffs, Charlotte Bobcats part-owner Michael Jordan has fired his former Chicago Bulls' teammate. And since Vincent's firing comes two days after legendary coach Larry Brown resigned as a Philadel-phia 76ers executive vice president, speculation immediately pointed toward Brown being Vincent's successor."

"The description fit Sam Vincent. He was inexperienced, but studied the sport in remote outposts like Nigeria. He was seen as a teacher. He was vocal and optimistic at the outset, predicting a playoff berth before his first season began."

"Blame Sam Vincent all you want for the Charlotte Bobcats' stagnant fourth season, which began with playoff hope and ended with Vincent getting fired only 11 months after getting hired. But I lay the blame for this 50-loss season mostly at the feet of Michael "Airball" Jordan, whose whiff on Vincent was only the latest example of the fact that he runs NBA basketball teams about as well as he hit a curveball."

"Doc Rivers wasn't happy to see a fellow NBA coach get fired after just one season. The Bobcats announced the firing of Sam Vincent yesterday. The former Celtics guard led the injury-riddled Bobcats to a 32-50 record."

"Let's connect the polka dots. No sooner does Larry Brown resign his vacuous vice president's job - or whatever title it was - with the 76ers than the 32-50 Bobcats turn Sam Vincent into Sam Vincent van Gone... If my conclusion-jumping is off target, the Grizzlies' presidency and coaching jobs are there for the scoop should Brown want them. Again, he was never in Bulls GM John Paxson's interviewing equation, which has expanded beyond Rick Carlisle... Yesterday's La Gazzetta dello Sport claimed Mike D'Antoni could wind up in Toronto with former Suns exec Bryan Colangelo should Phoenix make him the designated scapegoat for its playoff failures and Sam Mitchell be fired by the Raptors."

"Kenny Smith is looking to make the move from the TNT studio to the highly volatile world of the Knicks' front office, while Larry Brown could resurface in Charlotte. According to a league source, Smith is scheduled to interview this week with Knicks president Donnie Walsh about becoming the team's new general manager."

"Rick Pitino, who ran the Knicks from 1987 to 1989, said he's done with coaching in the NBA and would not be interested if Donnie Walsh came calling... With Sam Vincent fired in Charlotte, Knicks assistant Herb Williams could get a crack at the Bobcats head coaching job, if the favorite Larry Brown passes."

"The Charlotte Bobcats fired Sam Vincent today, after one 32-50 season as head coach of the team."

"A source close to Larry Brown says the Hall of Fame coach would be receptive to speaking with the Charlotte Bobcats, should their head-coaching job become available."

"But Johnson just got lucky. He was just offered the opportunity to prove that, darn it, he really does care. The opportunity's name is Larry Brown. Brown, who is one of the great coaches of all time, resigned Thursday as executive vice president of the Philadelphia 76ers."

"The Observer's Rick Bonnell analyzes each player still on Charlotte's roster -- his contract status and a capsule on how his season went."

"The Charlotte Bobcats will have 28 chances, out of a possible 1,000, in the NBA draft lottery to be held May 20."

"For much of the second half, Fan Appreciation Night looked more like fan depreciation. The Charlotte Bobcats' 23-point lead in the season-closer had melted down to a one-point deficit. For the second night in a row, they were about to lose a game they led by 20 or more. Then Raymond Felton and Emeka Okafor rose to the occasion. Felton scored six points and Okafor had four in a 21/2-minute run that salvaged a 115-109 win against the playoff-bound Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday."

"The regular-season finale took on the character of many of the previous 81 games for the 76ers last night. Trailing by 23 points in the third quarter, and with coach Maurice Cheeks resigned to giving key regulars extended rest, the Sixers staged a crazed comeback. This one fell just short in a 115-109 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats at Time Warner Cable Arena."

"Despite what his coach called a "turbulent" season at point guard, Raymond Felton says he wants to remain a Bobcat for the long haul. "I don't want to go somewhere else and start over," said Felton, who is eligible for a long-term extension this season under the rookie pay scale. In the alternative, he would become a restricted free agent in July 2009."

"The Charlotte Bobcats ended their fourth season Wednesday with a record well below .500, attendance that ranks near the bottom of the NBA, and an owner who opined this week that Charlotte's business community needs to do more to support the team. Wednesday also was Fan Appreciation Night. So, Kevin Carroll -- do you feel appreciated? "Sometimes," the 44-year-old Charlotte resident said as he walked with his two children into Time Warner Cable Arena, formerly Bobcats Arena. "I think we need to just get a better team on the court.""

"Then during the third and fourth quarters, you hardly knew he was there: 0-of-6 shooting and two points, paving the road to a 112-108 overtime loss at Izod Center. The Bobcats (31-50) squandered a 20-point lead to guarantee they'll finish with fewer victories than last season. "

"In the second half they did. So they staged a furious comeback, needed overtime and won, 112-108, to assure their seventh straight season with a winning home record (21-20), one of the few areas of consolation in a campaign that ends tonight in Boston and sees them out of the playoffs for the first time in seven years."

"Bob Johnson may be disappointed by Charlotte's lukewarm reception to his basketball team, but the Bobcats and the city appear stuck with each other for some time."

"There's only one way for the Charlotte Bobcats to save themselves, and that's to start over. But how do they start over? How do they overcome four years of mind-numbing arrogance and a business model that changes every season? And by season I mean winter, spring, summer and fall."

"Nice touch by the Nets to start Gastonia's Darrell Armstrong in their last home game of the season. It's possible, after 13 NBA seasons, that this is it for the high-energy point guard."

"The temperature might be in the 50s, but in Charlotte Bobcats time, summer is right around the corner. That's because they're playing out the string. They're mathematically eliminated from the playoff race, and contrary to what they anticipated, they weren't playing meaningful games in April. So let's fast-forward to the offseason. Consider these five key questions for the Bobcats:"

"Charlotte's business community has fallen short in its support of the Charlotte Bobcats, majority owner Bob Johnson said Monday, leading him to ask executives across the region to pony up more money for tickets, suites and sponsorships. "I am absolutely concerned," Johnson told the Observer in an interview. "I am doing everything I can to make this team work, including writing a lot of checks.""

" Barring divine intervention, Larry Krystkowiak, Marc Iavaroni and Jim Boylan are days away from dismissal by the Bucks, Grizzlies and Bulls, respectively. Two others on Uneasy Street, Lawrence Frank and Sam Vincent, recently received votes of confidence - from Nets president Rod Thorn and Bobcats owner Bob Johnson, respectively. "

"In the `80s and `90s, Charlotte was flush and fearless. Our big banks gobbled up competitors like Pez. New money flooded the city, buying and building, racing around like Muggsy Bogues on the fast break. Living here was like starting a new romance and every day brought a dozen roses. But now we've been burned. The Hornets left us. Building a new arena turned into a knife fight. Those big companies are shedding jobs. And a lot of those gleaming new houses are under foreclosure."

"With a 107-103 victory against Indiana in Conseco Fieldhouse, the Bobcats allowed the Atlanta Hawks to move one step closer to a spot in the playoffs and shoved the Pacers a little further away."

"While Atlanta was losing to Boston, the Pacers ran out of time and energy in their 107-103 loss to the Bobcats at Conseco Fieldhouse."

"How long were the Bobcats out of town in late February and March, when they were displaced by the CIAA, ACC and NCAA tournaments? They played as many games at Time Warner Cable Arena (five) as North Carolina."

"Nothing at stake? The New York Knicks had plenty at stake -- the new boss was in the house for the first time. With team President Donnie Walsh attending his first home game since accepting the job, every Knick was on his toes Wednesday. Not an opportune situation for the Charlotte Bobcats, who lost for the second time this season in Madison Square Garden, 109-107."

"The Simple Minds' popular 1980s hit song "Don't You Forget About Me" was being piped into soon-to-be-renamed Time Warner Cable Arena just moments before Tuesday's announcement of a naming-rights deal for the Charlotte Bobcats' arena and a new television contract for Bobcats games. Given how fickle this market's fanbase has been in recent years, there probably couldn't have been a more appropriate song. Because the early enthusiasm and unrivaled fan support the city's first NBA tenant - the Hornets - has simply been forgotten."

"Coach Sam Vincent said he is leaning toward using the current starting lineup -- Raymond Felton, Matt Carroll, Jason Richardson, Emeka Okafor and Nazr Mohammed -- the rest of the season. Makes sense: Of the 16 starting combinations the team has used this season, that group is the only one with a .500-plus record. It is 6-5 after Wednesday night's loss."

"It's rare when Matt Carroll misses a free throw, rarer still when he's told to miss a free throw. But that was the order late in the Charlotte Bobcats' 121-119 victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Killing a second, even a fraction of a second, was more important than adding a point to the Bobcats' score. So the coaches told Carroll, an 80 percent foul shooter, to intentionally miss."

"Greg Buckner lives. He plays, too, as the Timberwolves' 121-119 loss to Charlotte on Tuesday night at freshly named Time Warner Cable Arena illustrated remarkably."

"Buckner had appeared in just one game since the all-star break, but he played 31 minutes and scored 13 points to spark the Wolves' comeback attempt, which fell short in a 121-119 loss to the Bobcats at Time Warner Cable Arena."