When the Milwaukee Bucks play the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, it will be the last NBA viewers get to hear of Hall of Fame broadcaster Hubie Brown. At 91 years old, he will be be stepping aside after a 70-year career as a coach and commentator.
Back in 1972, Brown got his first NBA coaching job with these very Bucks, in the fifth year of the franchise, as an assistant to the legendary Larry Costello. The team made the playoffs both seasons led by Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, going as far as the Finals in 1973-74, where they lost to Boston in seven games.
After wrapping up his coaching career in 2004-2005 with Memphis, Brown staked perhaps an even greater claim to fame as a broadcaster. No doubt Sunday will be a bittersweet send-off for basketball fans, most of whom haven’t breathed a day where HB wasn’t coaching or calling games. For the Bucks, the ceremony is an honor to be a part of.
A League Legend
The game will air on ESPN at 2 PM; late morning Friday, the network put out an article celebrating Brown’s career, which includes calling 18 Finals on TV and radio. Booth partner Mike Breen, with whom Brown will call the game, gushed about his longtime friend and colleague. “It’s the most remarkable thing and it’s not hyperbole: He has probably taught more people about the game of basketball than anybody that’s ever lived.”
As Breen says, more than just a coach or commentator, his partner is recognized as one of the game’s founding teachers. Catch him in vintage action in the video below:
Hubie Brown is a national treasure and this video of him dishing out sweet behind the back passes at the 5 Star Camp in 1976 belongs in the Smithsonian.
“A little mustard on that one”. pic.twitter.com/MV1MnYcRAQ
— Hoops Nostalgia (@HoopsNostalgia) February 22, 2024
Taking his first coaching position in 1955 at St Mary’s Academy, he has since been inducted into three different Hall of Fames: the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2005), the College Basketball Hall of Fame (2006), and the National Sports Media Association Hall of Fame (2022).
Milwaukee Bucks vs Philadelphia 76ers To Mark Endpoint of Epic Career
It has been a year of grief for Brown, who lost his wife, Claire, in June of 2024 and his son, Brendan, in November. He lost his youngest of three daughters two years ago. Through his heartbreak he remained in the booth, continuing to call games as one of the league’s most well-known voices.
Despite his decades of experience, he told ESPN that he remains jittery about Sunday, as he always has preparing to sit before a mic. “You’re always nervous,” he said. “That’s me. I don’t worry about anybody else. Because you want to be able to paint the picture, you want to be able to educate the fan to another level of expertise, and you realize it’s a team doing it, not yourself.”
The 63-year-old Breen, who has been broadcasting since 1985, shared some of his favorite Hubie Brown eccentricities. “My favorite is when he was really happy about a play, like he’d always say: ‘That’s it! That’s it! That’s it!’ And then when he got mad, you could tell when he got mad, when you weren’t playing the game right, just in the tone in his voice.”
Speaking about his career to the The Athletic, Brown said, “When I look back, it’s been the fastest 50 years in the NBA as a coach and as a television person. On Sunday I want to be at the top of my game.”
Fans will have one last chance to hear one of history’s best. To get to Sunday, though, the Bucks first need to take of business in Atlanta on Friday night, before returning home for HB’s final call.
As for their newest additions, Kevin Porter Jr has been ruled out versus the Hawks, with Kyle Kuzma and Jericho Sims listed as a game-time decision. The Bucks are 5.5-point road favorites as of Friday afternoon.
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