Report: Larry Brown Receives Permission to Return to Philadelphia

Posted By Eric Freeman
Whoo boy, that's a big headline, huh? Larry Brown has guided the Bobcats to their first playoff berth in franchise history, but that success could be over before it starts if he jumps ship to the Sixers. It's also particularly striking that Michael Jordan would give him permission to leave before the start of the postseason.

Before you jump out of your britches, though, keep in mind that this story comes from the New York Post's Peter Vecsey, whose personal rumor mill is often based on little more than speculation and fever dreams.

So read on, but do so with my disclaimer in mind:
Coincidentally squared, Next Town Brown, I'm informed, has received approval from Bobcats owner Michael Jordan to return home, home on the range -- Philadelphia -- where his wife, school-age children and the antelopes still play, to re-take control of the 76ers from top to bottom.

I presume permission isn't activated until after the playoffs, but with Next Town, one can never be sure.

Forgive Vecsey's bizarre "Home on the Range" references and focus on the story, which actually has some merit to it. Brown likes to change jobs fairly often, and his heart could still be in the City of Brotherly Love, even if his darling Allen Iverson is no longer there.

But when Vecsey reports a story, it actually seems less likely, even if an objective view suggests it could be true. It's like a zen koan, or one of those square watermelons.

So keep the possibility of Brown-to-Philly in the back of your mind heading forward. Without Vecsey's name attached, it strikes me as a real possibility. The Sixers, despite their internal disagreement between focusing on young players and playing veterans, are actually quite talented and not terribly far from being a playoff team. Brown could be the man to bring them back to the postseason.