Larry Brown, who will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame tonight, has coached one team to a championship in 30 seasons.

That, of course, was his 1988 Kansas University basketball team, which beat Oklahoma, 83-79, in the NCAA title game at Kemper Arena. Brown’s crowning achievement came in his fifth and final season at KU, where he compiled a 135-44 career record, including a 72-4 mark at Allen Fieldhouse.

“Those were five of the greatest years I’ve ever had,” Brown told the Journal-World. “It was an unbelievable thrill being coach of Kansas, considering the tradition, who I followed, who is involved in Kansas basketball.

“Meeting the (Phog) Allen family coach (Dean) Smith went to school at KU. Those are the some of the things I remember the most. There’s not a better place for basketball anywhere really.”

Brown, who has coached the ABA’s Denver Nuggets and Carolina Cougars and the NBA’s New Jersey Nets, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers, begins his sixth year in Philly.

Before Philly, his five-year stint at KU was the longest of his coaching tenure.

“I loved it when I was at Kansas,” said Brown, who also led UCLA to an appearance in the NCAA Finals and directed his Sixers into the NBA Finals two years ago. “Coming back for the 100th anniversary (of KU basketball celebration) made me realize how lucky I was to be a part of it all.”

Brown doesn’t hold a special place is his heart for KU just because it’s the place where he won his only championship. A man who considers himself a “teacher” who tries to coach the game “the way it’s meant to be played,” Brown insists he’s not only about the pursuit of titles.

“I truly believe, as a coach, I’ve gotten a lot of satisfaction out of teams that did not win a lot of games because I felt they played up to their potential, or they played the right way,” Brown said.

“When all is said and done, I am an NBA coach because I want to be part of an NBA championship team. If it doesn’t happen, I am going to look back at my career and not think I did not have an unbelievable ride or I wasn’t really blessed. I don’t think that will change. It’s one of the things that motivates me.”

You can bet Brown will be gracious tonight during the Hall banquet, which will be attended by KU coach Roy Williams and Smith.

“Again, I just think so much of the reason that I am here is because of the people I coached under or played under, guys I coached with, or the players I had the opportunity to coach,” the 62-year-old Brown said. “I don’t think anybody gets to this point without having a lot of people contribute, and I’ve been very, very fortunate in that regard.”

Smith and Williams are fond of Brown.

“Growing up in North Carolina, he was one of my heroes,” Williams said. “My respect for him has only grown and grown throughout the years.”

Smith noted: “Larry was born to coach. Even when he was a player here (at North Carolina), he would coach in camps in the summers and try to put in different offenses and defenses. Of course, I think he was a great player and point guard.

“He has proven his ability at many levels, in college with an NCAA Championship and three Final Fours in about seven years of college coaching. Then every place he has been in the NBA, his teams seem to go to the playoffs, and he gets the most out of each team. I couldn’t be happier for the coaching profession to have Larry as a member of the basketball Hall of Fame and also for us here in North Carolina, we will be excited.”

The man who hired Brown at KU, Monte Johnson, will attend tonight’s ceremonies, as will Bob Frederick, athletic director during the championship season.

“He has to be one of the all-time bright basketball coaches as well as a real gentleman,” Johnson said.

“He’s a great coach. He’s proven it on every level,” Frederick noted.