WRAL Sports Fan

WRALSportsFan

Larry Brown talks Felton, return to Carolina

Apr 29, 2008

(On being a salesman as well as a coach)

“I’ll do anything that they need me to do but I’m a coach. That’s what I do best. If we have a good team and (fans) are proud of the way they play, I think they’ll come out. They love basketball in this state with the ACC and the other college programs, like Davidson down the road. If you play the right way and they know you’re giving an honest effort and you’re making progress, they’ll come. I’ll do anything they ask. I’m going to be engaged in the community and I love North Carolina. I’m going to be involved but I’m a coach and that’s what I love to do.”

(On the excitement of coming back to North Carolina to coach in the NBA after having coached the ABA’s Carolina Cougars in the 1970s)

“It’s great. I’m glad we won’t travel as much. (In the ABA,) we had 20 games in Greensboro, eight in Raleigh and the rest in Charlotte, so that was a lot of road games. I just love being in this environment because I know how important basketball is to the people of this state. I know (the Hornets) led the league in attendance every year. They have a lot of great basketball fans here. Now we have to put a team out on the floor that they want to come watch and I’m looking forward to that.”

(On the strengths and weaknesses of the Bobcats)

“Hopefully we’re going to have a great draft pick or two. It seems to me the draft is getting deeper every day with all these kids talking about coming out. I think Michael (Jordan) told me, our challenge is to make the players we have better. We have a lot of young players that I like and think have a chance to improve.”

(On Raymond Felton’s position)

“He’s a point guard. I think he’ll do anything you ask him to do. I look at shooting guard with Matt (Carroll) and Jason (Richardson) as a pretty good position right there. Jared (Dudley) can also play there a little, I think. If you look around this league, the teams that are successful have great point guards that can push the ball up the court and defend pick-and-roll and are athletic. I think Raymond (Felton) can do all of that. Michael (Jordan) talked to me about that, that’s a big challenge but I really believe he has the ability to be a great one.”