SirValiant Brown lambasted the Halifax Rainmen yesterday, a day after being released from their roster.
The 6-foot-1 guard, a former NCAA Division 1 star, called the year-long suspension of star Eric Crookshank “bogus,” described Rick Lewis’s coaching skills as “questionable,” and said owner Andre Levingston “stabbed me in the back.”
Brown, who admitted to being a greedy shooter in the past, said he came to Halifax with a commitment to shoot the ball less and share it more to take his game to the next level. He said that’s what Levingston told him he needed to do.
That’s why he said he was stunned when Levingston told Metro Halifax Brown hadn’t produced enough. He was averaging 7.1 points per game through eight contests.
“If they wanted me to do what they say they wanted me to do, why not let me take more shots, or put me in positions on the court so I can do the things I do best?” he asked.
He said he was offered a more lucrative six-figure contract in France on Jan. 9, but decided not to leave Halifax after getting positive feedback from Levingston.
“They were still stating, ‘You’re playing well, you’re doing the things we asked you to do,’” the 26-year-old said. “A (few weeks later), he stabs me in the back.”
Brown called Lewis’s rotation of minutes “crap,” saying the head coach subs out shooters when they’re heating up and fails to sub out players who continuously miss.
He also said the offence is disorganized with very few plays, particularly for clutch, last-minute situations.
“We just put a basic pick-and-roll into the offence last week,” Brown said. “We should have done that Day 1. Coach don’t know how to coach. He’s a trainer. A good trainer.
“But they have the most talent in the league and they aren’t going to win a championship with him coaching.”
Crookshank, meanwhile, was suspended earlier this year for “conduct detrimental to the team.” Brown said the 6-foot-8 forward “didn’t do anything wrong.”
“The worst thing he did was have an attitude after a loss because he don’t like losing,” Brown said. “He definitely deserves to be on this team. He stated his opinion (about floor time) like a man, and basically, they used him as a scapegoat.”
