SAN ANTONIO ? Larry Brown’s coat and tie were off and his white dress shirt was unbuttoned at the collar when he walked into a locker room as a coach for perhaps the last time.

Brown insisted he was at peace after the San Antonio Spurs dethroned his Detroit Pistons, 81-74, Thursday night in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

“I’m way ahead of the curve – no matter what happens,” Brown said in an interview with the Associated Press. “This game has given me so much that I’m one of the luckiest guys in the world.”

Before the Spurs beat the defending NBA champions, Brown said he planned to check into the Mayo Clinic after next week’s draft for a three-day stay.

“Shelly has it set up for Wednesday morning,” he said, referring to his wife.

Brown will be in the hospital to address a medical problem that developed from complications following hip surgery in November and did not go away after a second procedure in March.

The Hall of Fame coach has said if doctors deemed him healthy enough, he wanted to return next season with the Pistons. He insists he will not coach another NBA team.

“If I don’t come back, it’ll be for the right reasons,” Brown said.

In his postgame news conference, he was uncomfortable talking about his situation.

“Come on, let’s talk about the game,” he pleaded. “That’s the most important thing.

“I hope I’ll be back coaching. That’s been my plan, if (team president) Joe (Dumars) wants me, and if I’m able to do it.”

If Brown can’t coach, he is expected to be an executive, perhaps with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Still, some wouldn’t be shocked if he ended up coaching the New York Knicks next season.

Detroit’s players have had to deal with Brown’s possible departure all season, so it was not surprising that Chauncey Billups was not interested in talking about Brown’s future.

“I’m not really worried about that right now,” Billups said. “I’m feeling for my guys right now, nothing else.”

Brown tried to console Billups when he got into the locker room. He walked into the training room, hugged the point guard he’s pushed for two years, then walked back through the locker room toward his office with watery eyes.

Before Game 7, Brown said he didn’t want to think about what he would miss about the game if his coaching career is over.

“If it happens, I’ve got a young family,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of neat things that have happened to me because of the opportunity to coach. I’m sure I’ll be doing some coaching in some capacity. I want to help the game.”

After Brown coached in what could have been his last game, he hugged San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich, his good friend, and several Spurs before working his way through a sea of people on the court and walking toward Detroit’s locker room.

“He was congratulatory and classy beyond belief,” Popovich said.

The victory over the Spurs in Game 6 was Brown’s 100th in the postseason.