Michael Ventre

In old movies, you could tell a well-traveled man by his suitcase. It was covered with stickers from his stops all over the world.

Rather than ponder where he had been, I often wondered where he would go next. If he had been, say, to Paris, Cairo, Buenos Aires, Montreal, Tokyo and Mexico City, among others, then I presumed he must be at least a little tired of traveling. He must have seen it all and was ready now to plant roots.

The mistake I made, of course, is in believing there is a cure for wanderlust, or that it simply goes away after a while like the common cold. Usually, it doesn’t. Usually the man obsessed with going from one place to another continues to do so until he is one day found slumped over  his breakfast tray inside his hotel room.

But again, the question remains. If he has been everywhere, then where does he go next?

The situation is even more dire in the case of Larry Brown, who was sent packing Thursday morning by the New York Knicks after a relatively short and uncomfortable stay. Where this leaves the Knicks isn’t nearly as intriguing as where this sends Brown, since the Knicks, under the direction of owner James Dolan and team president Isiah Thomas, probably will always be just exactly where they are.

It isn’t that Brown has burned so many bridges around the NBA that he is an unemployable pariah, since he still has a network of friends and disciples, and respect for his ability to coach remains strong despite the mushroom cloud that was last season with the Knicks.

Rather it is the perception that Brown’s persistent desire to move on has grown more virulent in his old age, and that he may linger in his next outpost for even less time than he spent in New York. That’s why his next move probably should be back to the college ranks, if not high school.

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The Golden State Warriors seem to be an oft-mentioned suitor for Brown’s affections. But is that team really a better fit for Brown? I realize Stephon Marbury may be uniquely incorrigible, but isn’t Baron Davis making a strong move toward that throne? I understand the Knicks may be the worst assemblage of performing men since ‘N Sync, but can you honestly look at clips of the Miami Heat players celebrating their championship and envision the current Warriors in their places within the next 10 years?

Of course, the Warriors would have to fire Mike Montgomery first if they wanted Brown, but that’s merely a formality. Remember, when Brown wanted the job in Detroit, the Pistons suddenly treated Rick Carlisle like someone who was just caught in the act of keying the owner’s car.