New York, April 21: Mike Brown, who guided Cleveland to a league-best 66-16 record this season, was named National Basketball Association Coach of the Year.The Cavaliers` season marked just the 12th time an NBA team has won so many games. They also finished with the best home record of 39-2, including 23 straight victories to open the season.
In voting for the award, Brown received 355 points, including 55 first-place votes, from a panel of 122 sports reporters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada.
The Cavaliers` 21-game improvement over last year`s 45-37 record matched the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers for the second biggest improvement among teams with at least 45 wins in the previous season.
Brown is in his fourth season with Cleveland, where he has guided the Cavaliers to 45 victories or more in each of his first three seasons.
Brown previously spent two seasons as associate head coach for the Indiana Pacers and was an assistant coach in San Antonio when the Spurs won the 2003 championship.
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