By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Larry Brown signed a 1+1 contract with the Italian club Auxilium Pallacanestro Torino and will coach the team next season in the Italian Legabasket and also in the 7Days EuroCup, the second tier continental competition in Europe.
Brown explained his decision by mentioning the differences between European and American basketball style: “Today’s playing style of European basketball is much closer to my way of thinking compared to the American basketball. Here there are many people who will help me. Paolo (Galbiati) is a fantastic young coach. I’m nervous but excited. To play the right way you need great players and great minds. Every day, before training or playing, I write ‘Play Smart, Play Right, Have Fun’ on the chalkboard. It’s a phrase I got from Dean Smith”.
Brown also spoke about the Italian basketball tradition: “I am a great admirer of Sandro Gamba and Mike D’Antoni. Italian basketball today is not what it was years ago, but I hope it can improve more and more. I hope to have a good influence on young players and coaches, it is my greatest hope. I love European basketball. There is a great level of coaches and players, nice team play. Milan has a great roster. Our goal is to create a team with many good Italian players. For a young man, G-League Europe is better for me”.
Torino won the Italian cup this season, however, it’s not a household name yet. Still, Brown sets the bar high: “The presence of Juventus football club in the same city means that we expect the best from a team like Turin. It is a city with a passion for basketball, people love it regardless of the results”.
Photo credit: Auxilium Pallacanestro Torino