Larry Brown, Piston 4 Life

In just about every city, there has been media speculation that Pistons Coach Larry Brown is about to walk off the job.

Rest assured, it’s not going to happen — not this season, any way.

“I haven’t talked about that,” Brown said. “I still love what I do.”

When pressed further, Brown said that although he has been disheartened by his Olympic experience last summer, his hip surgery last month and the brawl Nov. 19, he plans to coach the rest of the season. He said he will evaluate his situation over the summer.

“You know I’ve been sick about what happened,” he said. “It’s been miserable for me, with me being hurt and not being able to be out on the court. But I am not thinking about (quitting).

“Am I disappointed? Did it leave a sour taste in my mouth and make we want to re-evaluate things over the summer? Yeah, definitely. But I still love what I do. If I lose that, then I will be talking about it.”

Brown, who will have three more years (and $18 million) left on his contract after this season, evaluates his situation every summer. He entertained the notion of retiring after the championship last season.

Pistons President Joe Dumars understands that all of this is part of the Larry Brown package.

“I’ve never had a discussion with him about that,” Dumars said. “I think it would be irrelevant for me to sit down and try to have a discussion like that with Larry. He knows how much we respect him and appreciate what he does here.”

As for the rumors and speculation, Dumars said it’s a by-product of Brown’s well-earned reputation as a wanderer.

“Simply because of his past and the different jobs that he’s had and the changes he’s made, it’s inevitable that you are going to get people writing those stories,” Dumars said. “It’s not something I can chase. I can’t chase every article. Do I see him backing away? Not at all. Just come and watch our practices and you’ll see.