After a playing career that included stops in Italy, Chicago, Utah, Minnesota, Philadelphia and Phoenix, he and his family moved to Nevada, where his wife Eshter founded The Embracing Project, a program to help youths who have been incarcerated. Among other charitable activities, the Browns try to connect American gang members with youth from Africa that are child-soldiers.

Brown's point is that American gang kids and war-torn children have more in common than they think. Both believe that they are the underclass, that they need guns to survive, and that they have no other options. And both are dying at an alarming rate.

Brown says when underprivileged kids from far-flung places are put together in a positive environment, something strange occurs. There's not more gang activity, but less.

The Browns are planning to take some American kids to Senegal next year. They are also encouraging the youths to become pen pals.

Seems life is better when there's someone to talk to.

Meanwhile, helping young people spurred Brown's interest in coaching. Though he never thought he would become a coach, after retirement he approached Reggie Theus, now coach of the Sacramento Kings. At that time Theus was heading the Las Vegas Slam of the ABA and Brown asked if he could help out.

He has since coached in the NBA's developmental league in Fayetteville and Roanoke.

Now, Brown says, he'd like to remain in coaching, perhaps in a player development/coaching role.

Does he plan to employ Sloan's vocal, grating coaching style?

"I took a little from all my coaches," says Brown. "Jerry is a good coach. Execution is the way he coaches, and often it's not talent, it's execution."

But no, he says, he's not going to become Jerry II.

"I'm not a military approach guy," says Brown.

The way he sees it, there's no need to be a bear about it.

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E-mail: rock@desnews.com