Brown returns to Detroit tonight

DETROIT -- Larry Brown has a lot of experience with this: returning to an NBA city where he used to coach.

The Hall of Fame coach will be doing it for seventh time tonight when he leads the New York Knicks at Detroit. This time, however, won't be like the rest.

"I was fired, so it's a little different," Brown said Thursday.

The Pistons also were the first team Brown led to an NBA championship, and Detroit fell just short of repeating last June. After weeks of negotiations, the Pistons and Brown agreed on a $7 million severance package with three years and about $18 million left on his contract.

The Pistons wearied of Brown's apparent interest in the Knicks' coaching job and a front-office opportunity in Cleveland.

Brown, 65, was unable to assure the Pistons he would be fit to coach this year. He had hip surgery early last season and that led to an undisclosed medical problem, which persisted after a second procedure in the spring and a hospital visit in the summer. Brown said his problem is still not resolved.

Flip Saunders became Detroit's third coach in four seasons. He agreed to a four-year contract worth up to $26 million in July, less than a day after Detroit completed terms of Brown's exit.

Brown has a four-year contract with the Knicks worth a reported $40 million.