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NEW YORK – Reacting to the Larry Brown news in Charlotte, Knicks president Donnie Walsh said Brown left the Knicks in a great spot despite the team’s 23-59 record in his one season as coach.

“When a guy has been in it as long as Larry, I don’t think there’s any sadness in him leaving because he’s left so many teams in great position,” Walsh, making his first appearance at a Knicks game since his Nov. 16 hip-replacement surgery, said before the Knicks hosted Oklahoma City Wednesday at MSG. “He left my team in a great position. He’s helped so many franchises that his legacy is taken care of.”

Brown, whose tenure with the Knicks during the 2005-6 season was marred by public feuds with his own players, including point guard Stephon Marbury, stepped down Wednesday as coach of the Charlotte Bobcats. He was replaced on an interim basis by Paul Silas. (more…)

David Stern may be the NBA Commissioner, but LeBron James is the most influential man in the league right now.

That is the widespread belief of at least a few agents and coaches around the NBA.

“LeBron James is basically running the entire NBA right now,” said one agent who requested anonymity because he represents several NBA and college players who could be impacted by James’ impending free-agent decision. “There is no question about that. He is holding up the Nets, the Knicks, Cleveland, Chicago, the Clippers. He’s holding up the whole league.”

Read the full column at SNY.

(Photo courtesy NBA.com)

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NEW YORK – During an hour-long press conference in the Cosmopolitan Room of the Four Seasons Hotel in midtown Manhattan, new Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov held court on everything from LeBron James to Jay-Z to the Nets’ move to Brooklyn.

Appearing calm and confident despite failing to land the No. 1 pick in Tuesday’s NBA draft lottery, Prokhorov repeatedly talked about his “global” vision for the Nets and cracked more one-liners than Chris Rock on a good night.

A room full of journalists furiously scribbled the comments of the Russian mogul, the first non-North American NBA owner and a man worth a reported $13.4 billion. With his pale complexion, serious demeanor and furrowed brow, he has been compared to a James Bond villain.

“America, I come in peace,” he joked when asked about Russians taking over foreign sports franchises.

Read the full story on SNY.

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Sometime on the evening of June 24, 2010, NBA Commissioner David Stern could well utter the following words…”With the first pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Utah Jazz select John Wall of the University of Kentucky.”

Of course, the team that could really use Wall — just named to the Bob Cousy Award Watch List – and his transcendant abilities is the New York Knicks.

And the Knicks — off to a dreadful 1-8 start — could well earn the right to select the 6-foot-4 Wall with the top pick. Several mock drafts project Wall as the No. 1 pick next year, ahead of Derrick Favors, Ed Davis and Greg Monroe.

There’s just one problem. (more…)