Plenty of history in this game for Brown

FOR Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown, today’s preseason match against Melbourne United is more than a basketball game.

The clash will carry extra emotion given Brown started his now highly successful coaching career in Australia in 1987 when he contacted former Melbourne Tigers coach Lindsay Gaze.

The now Sixers mentor went out of his way to call Gaze as he searched for a new opportunity after quitting his sales job in the States. More than 20 years later, Brown has used his coaching tenure in Australia to become one of the NBA’s most respected mentors. This morning from 9am (EAST), his journey will come full circle when he coaches against a Melbourne side featuring two of his former Victorian under-20s from the Australian titles in 1990 — Dean Vickerman and Simon Mitchell.

Brown lives in Philadelphia these days and only travels to Australia once a year but he says he’ll never forget his Aussie grounding. He credited a lot of his coaching and life philosophies to his time Down Under with the Melbourne Tigers, North Melbourne Giants and the Sydney Kings.

“Australia is very much a second home for me,” he said.

Brown’s knowledge of Australian basketball is why he is expecting Melbourne United to test the Sixers in this morning’s match.

“This team we are playing lost to OKC in Oklahoma City last year so that should give you a balance of how good they can be,” he said.