On the Beat: Brown Welcomes, Gives Back to Aussie Coaches

As the 76ers’ practice began to draw to a close on Monday, a guest stood observing along one of the sidelines of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine’s court.  While the man’s face was not one regularly seen around the Sixers’ training facility, he managed to stick out because of the t-shirt he was wearing.  Three letters – “AUS” – were printed along the front, as were the signature stars that make up the Australian flag. The visitor was Brendan Joyce, head coach of the Australian Women’s National Basketball Team.  Not surprisingly, given Brett Brown’s connections to the country, the two have been “long-time” friends.  Joyce will be with Brown and the Sixers for most of this week, as part of a brief trip he’s made to the United States.  Joyce initially accompanied Larry Brown and the Southern Methodist men’s basketball program to Philadelphia last weekend, when the Mustangs faced Temple. “I’m always privileged to be able to share our world, the NBA, with my friends from Australia, especially fellow coaching friends from Australia, and help them like they help me.  It’s just good to have him here,” said Brown, who estimated he’s welcomed “several hundred Australian guests, South Pacific guests, [and] New Zealanders” to watch him work during his 12 years with the San Antonio Spurs, and three years with the Sixers.  Brown considers such hospitality an obligation, given the amount of time he’s spent – nearly three and a half decades – between Australia and the NBA.”National coaches from all over the world come and visit us, and have with me for years, just because I’ve met so many people,” Brown said.  “With three Olympic Games’ experience, you meet people.  Lots of Aussies come over here, and there’s a bond, there’s a tightness, and a responsibility you feel to help, just like they helped me when I was young.”While Brown ended up living nearly a third of his life among the Aussies, Joyce is a native of the continent, born in Melbourne.  He played for more than a decade in the National Basketball League, the same professional circuit on which Brown originally began to carve out his coaching chops in the late 1980s.  That was around the time that Joyce’s career was winding down.  Brown and Joyce continued to cross paths amidst their respective head coaching stints in the NBL.  They also spent time together as assistants for the Australian Men’s National Basketball Team under Brian Goorjian.  Brown was promoted to replace Goorjian’s position with the Boomers in 2009.  Joyce took over the Opals, currently the second-ranked women’s national team in the world, per FIBA, in 2013.”It’s an extremely tight fraternity, and it’s a small one,” said Brown, describing Australia’s hoops community.  “It’s not like it’s as massive as it is in the United States, but basketball in general for me has always brought the world a little bit closer, has sort of presented it a little bit smaller.” Brown’s desire to help other coaches can be traced to his upbringing in Portland, Maine.  His dad, Bob, coached high school basketball in that area for 32 years, winning over 75.0 percent of his games.  Brown recalled, “With my father, you get knocks at the door at eight [o’clock] at night, eight in the morning.  During snowstorms, an eighth grade coach wants an out-of-bounds play.  A fifth-grade women’s coach wants a defensive drill.  All of my childhood, Dad ran the whole community, the city’s program.””From a childhood experience, I saw him at all hours give time,” Brown said.  “You had to. It was your job.  And we loved it.  It’s just part of being a coach, I think.  And people have done it with me, and I certainly intend on doing that with others as they visit us.”