An ode to Hubie Brown …

Come on now, he’s one of the best NBA analysts we have seen and heard in this league. Now, what you’ve got to love is his enthusiasm for the basketball. Here’s a guy who will talk about modern-day X’s and O’s and give you a coaching clinic on how the game was played in the 1950s. Come on now, how much do we love hearing Hubie Brown call NBA games? Of course we do. He’s a Basketball Hall of Famer, one of the best this league has ever seen.

The cadence and style are imitable, but Hubie Brown is incomparable when it comes to basketball knowledge, enthusiasm, respect and longevity.

On Sunday, the 91-year-old Brown will call his final NBA game – the Philadelphia 76ers at the Milwaukee Bucks – alongside play-by-play voice Mike Breen.

“He’s had as much of an impact for NBA fans as any player or coach,” Breen told USA TODAY Sports. “I really believe nobody who’s ever walked on this planet has taught basketball more than Hubie has. He’s the foremost teacher of the game of basketball that’s ever been.”

If not a national treasure, Brown, inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005, is an NBA treasure.

Brown, who declined most requests for interviews leading up to his final broadcast, played basketball, coached basketball at the high school (starting in 1955!), college and professional levels and has spent the past 52 years involved in the NBA and ABA as a coach or announcer. Brown was a teen in the NBA’s first season in 1946, and he joined the NBA as an assistant coach for the Bucks in 1972.

“Nobody breaks down the finer points of basketball better than Hubie Brown. He is the ultimate teacher of the game and an iconic figure to generations of NBA fans. We congratulate Hubie on one of the most extraordinary careers in the history of the league.” – NBA Commissioner Adam Silver

His first NBA head coaching job was with the Atlanta Hawks in 1976 after spending two seasons with the ABA’s Kentucky Colonels. He also spent four-plus seasons with the New York Knicks who fired him amid a 4-12 start to the 1986-87 season. That’s when he began his TV career.

However, Brown wasn’t done coaching. The Memphis Grizzlies hired him in 2002 because of his ability to teach – and get this: he was NBA Coach of the Year in 1977-78 and 2003-04.

There are a couple of generations of NBA fans who only know Brown through TV announcing. He joined ABC/ESPN in 2004 and has called more than 600 games. He was the network’s TV or radio voice for 18 NBA Finals.

His ability to observe, break down the game, translate it and relay with his trademark delivery has resonated with viewers and colleagues.

“You can feel and hear it in his voice how much he loves the game,” Breen said. “He explained it where somebody who’s followed the league their whole life and somebody who just recently started watching could understand what he’s saying. He appealed to every type of NBA fan.

“And the best thing is he just never stated the obvious. He didn’t just tell you what you were seeing. He told you why you were seeing it, and he did it in such a knowledgeable way that you just felt like you were in class every time.”

Along with Mike Tirico and Dave Pasch, Breen has called the most games with Brown on ESPN/ABC and requested doing Brown’s final game.

“We are grateful for Hubie’s immeasurable contributions to ESPN. The credibility and authority he has brought has lifted our NBA coverage, as he’s educated and entertained fans through his unmistakable style. With six decades in the sport between coaching and broadcasting, perhaps no one has ever been more devoted to the game of basketball than Hubie, and we’re excited to celebrate him as he so richly deserves on February 9.” – ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro

Brown started coaching in the 1950s when the game was played dramatically differently. He stayed up to date with the style of the time, avoiding stale tropes about how the game used to be played.

“I don’t ever remember him saying, ‘Back in the sixties, they did this better,’ ” Breen said. “All he did was appreciate the work and the commitment of the current players and the current coaches. He knew how hard it was to succeed in the league, no matter what type of style was the current style. He knew how difficult it was to be the best in the world, playing against the best in the world and trying to win. He never took that for granted.

‘And he never ever thought one way was better than another way. And again, that’s just because of his love (of) the game – the competition, the strategy, the individual talent and thinking the game. It was all just part of what made it so great.”

Announcing crews meet with the head coaches before tip to discuss game plans. The information gathered helps them provide insight during the broadcast. Breen cherishes those meetings.

“It was one of the great parts of the job because you’d go into some of these meetings and you could tell the coach might be a little intimidated and nervous because he’s got to talk basketball with Hubie Brown,” Breen said. “And Hubie was very direct. He had his specific questions, and the coaches could tell by the questions, ‘Oh my goodness, he knows my team as well as I do.’ It was fascinating to see the respect that they had for him and the players, too.”

Breen recalled doing a game last season between New York and San Antonio. It had been a while since Brown had called a Spurs game.

“Gregg Popovich comes into the room, and they hadn’t seen each other in several years, and the two of them embraced,” Breen said. “We’ve got tears in our eyes, these two men – giants of the game – having this beautiful, warm embrace that lasted a good long time. It was something I’ll never forget. I still get choked up when I think about it.”

“Hubie Brown means everything to basketball – and he’s meant everything to those of us who have had the privilege to call him a colleague and a friend. Being in the presence of basketball greatness can be intimidating, but because of Hubie’s love for the game and his willingness to share it with anyone who wants to learn, working with him has been one of the highlights of my career. Hubie IS hoops. I can’t think of one without the other.” – ESPN reporter Lisa Salters

Brown wants as little fanfare as possible Sunday, and Breen will accommodate to a degree.

“I promised him we would analyze the game. He can analyze the game,” Breen said. “We’ll talk about all the things the Bucks and Sixers are doing right and doing wrong because that’s all he wants. He’s not interested in having people honor him. …

“But I also said to him, ‘Listen, you’re just going to have to deal with it because everybody needs to let you know how much they love you.’ So, he’s prepared for that.”

Follow NBA reporter Jeff Zillgitt on social media @JeffZillgitt

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

Dick Vitale called back, and immediately apologized. He couldn’t do an interview and he couldn’t talk for long. These were his doctor’s orders, and Vitale wasn’t leaving anything to chance on the cusp of returning from nearly two years of cancer-induced, on-air silence.

“I must do stuff to save my voice,” Vitale explained over the telephone. “I’m still working on coming back from a tough situation.” 

But the voice that became synonymous with college basketball over the past five decades still has something to say. So Vitale instead sent over a statement to express the wave of emotions coursing through him at the moment. It began with the phrase, “Oh Baby” and ended with the word, “baby” as well. It also included eight exclamation points and featured eight instances in which he wrote in ALL CAPS. 

Dickie V, in other words, is thrilled to be back entertaining a national ESPN audience again, and the rest of the sport is rejoicing along with him.

“The past few years have tested me like never before,” Vitale wrote. “There were moments I wasn’t sure I’d ever sit courtside again.’

For more than three years, Vitale, 85, has been dealing with the effects of melanoma, lymphoma, vocal cord and lymph node cancers. It required multiple surgeries, 65 radiation treatments, rounds of chemotherapy and significant stretches of time in which the former NBA and college coach couldn’t speak at all.  

Vitale previously announced he was cancer-free in 2022 but was diagnosed a year later with vocal cord cancer and had to undergo radiation treatments. In November 2023, he was also deemed to be cancer-free before undergoing a procedure last summer following a biopsy that showed a lymph node in his neck had cancer.

Vitale announced he was cancer-free again on Jan. 8 and initially intended to return behind an ESPN microphone for the Duke-Wake Forest game on Jan. 25. But that had to be postponed when Vitale was hospitalized after a fall at his Florida home. Vitale wrote he was “heartbroken” over the setback and it brought on a new set of medical concerns for him to overcome. He has since been cleared by his doctors to resume his broadcasting comeback this weekend. 

‘Through it all,’ Vitale wrote, ‘I kept FIGHTING. BELIEVING. PRAYING.’

Vitale admitted to being nervous after so long away, but he’s mostly just grateful to get another chance doing the job he long ago realized was his way to leave a mark on the sport. He’ll broadcast Saturday’s Duke game at Clemson on ESPN along with play-by-play announcer Dave O’Brien and analyst Corey Alexander as part of a three-person crew.

Those around Vitale are nervous and thrilled for him, too.

“He has this passion for people, for basketball, to make a difference in other people’s lives, and his heart has been broken for two years because he hasn’t been able to share that love and that passion with others,” said ESPN’s Seth Greenberg, who has known Vitale for more than 50 years. “But his resilience, and his toughness, and his unrelenting optimistic outlook on everything and anything is, how can you not be moved? It’s going to be emotional for me watching it.”

Vitale joined ESPN soon after its launch following a coaching career that included stints with the University of Detroit and Detroit Pistons. He called the network’s first major NCAA basketball game on Dec. 5, 1979 and became one of its most recognizable faces as it rose from cable television start-up to an international broadcasting giant over the ensuing 45 years and counting.

Vitale used his platform at ESPN to elevate his work with the Jimmy V Foundation, which he has helped lead since its founding in 1993 by ESPN and late North Carolina State coach Jim Valvano. The annual Dick Vitale Gala, now in its 20th year, has raised nearly $93 million for pediatric cancer research. 

But it’s that voice and those catchphrases – “It’s awesome, baby!” and “diaper dandy,” to name just two – and the way they express Vitale’s irresistible enthusiasm for college basketball that turned him into a fixture in American households. They’ve been missing, and it left a void after more than 1,000 games at ESPN. 

It’s exactly why Vitale is willing to wait just a little longer to speak. This next game might just be the most memorable of them all.   

‘I have no idea how it’s going to go. But I know this — just being there is a WIN,” Vitale wrote. “Just getting this opportunity is a miracle. And make no mistake about it … THIS is my NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP for 2025! … See you at courtside, baby!”

Below you can read Vitale’s full statement to USA Today:

Dick Vitale, in his own words

OH, BABY! This moment… this opportunity… this incredible blessing—it means EVERYTHING to me!

With tears in my eyes and my heart pounding, I think about what’s coming this Saturday—sitting courtside again for Duke versus Clemson, reunited with my phenomenal teammates Dave O’Brien and Cory Alexander. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. But more than that? I’m overwhelmed with gratitude.

The past few years have tested me like never before—four battles with melanoma, lymphoma, vocal cord and lymph node cancers. There were moments I wasn’t sure I’d ever sit courtside again. I went through multiple surgeries, 65 radiation treatments, grueling chemotherapy, and long stretches where I had no voice at all. It was a rollercoaster—highs, lows, moments of doubt.

But through it all, I kept FIGHTING. BELIEVING. PRAYING.

And I wasn’t alone.

The prayers, the love, the outpouring of support from my amazing wife Lorraine, my daughters Terri and Sherri, my entire family—they lifted me up when I felt like I had nothing left. My ESPN family—OH, MY HEART!—for over four decades, they’ve been there. Chairman Jimmy Pitaro, my colleagues, my friends—they never stopped believing in me, sending words of encouragement week after week. 

And the FANS—oh, BABY!—the fans, the media, the coaches, the people I’ve never even met who prayed for me, who sent messages, who gave me hope—you all mean the world to me!

Then came the words I had prayed so hard to hear—my oncologist, Dr. Rick Brown, looked at me and said, “YOU ARE CANCER FREE!’

That was a championship moment! And then Dr. Steven Zeitels—after five major vocal cord surgeries—told me, “You’re ready to do what you love.” And what I LOVE is talking basketball!

Last month, I finally thought I was over the hump and would get the chance to return for the Duke-Wake Forest matchup. Yet, I was heartbroken when I suffered an accident at my house days before the game, leading to further medical concerns and uncertainty about my future. Thankfully, I’m happy to say the doctors have now cleared me to come back.

The last time I called a game was April 3, 2023—the National Championship, UConn versus San Diego State for ESPN International. That feels like a lifetime ago. But now? Now, I get to do it again.

I have no idea how it’s going to go. But I know this—just being there is a WIN. Just getting this opportunity is a miracle. And make no mistake about it…

THIS is my NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP for 2025!

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! See you at courtside, baby!

Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk has been hired as the new running backs coach at the University of Colorado, becoming the third Hall of Famer to join the coaching staff of the Buffaloes, including head coach Deion Sanders.

The university announced the hire late Thursday. It’s not clear if Faulk has ever coached before. He previously played running back at San Diego State and then went on to fame as an elite running back in the NFL for the Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams.

At Colorado, Faulk joins a staff assembled by Sanders that includes himself as a Pro Football Hall of Famer, along with graduate assistant coach Warren Sapp, another Pro Football Hall of Famer. Both Faulk and Sanders, a former cornerback, were enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

Faulk, 51, is one of the NFL’s best running backs of all time and a Super Bowl champion with the Rams 25 years ago. He was the No. 2 overall pick in the 1994 NFL draft and was named the 2000 NFL MVP.

After his football career ended in 2006, he worked as an analyst for the NFL Network. But he parted ways with the network after a lawsuit accused him of sexual harassment and groping a wardrobe stylist. The lawsuit made similar allegations against others at the network, including Sapp, before being settled out of court in 2018.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Faulk recently had been working in the financial field outside of football, according to online records. As the new running backs coach at Colorado, Faulk will be charged with improving a running game that ranked last in the nation in rushing yards per game in 2023 and 2024.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

(This story was updated to add new information.)

The NFL is continuing its quest to expand its footprint in Europe, with a regular season game coming to Ireland for the first time in 2025.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been designated the home team for the game. The storied franchise’s owner Art Rooney II has family ties to the Emerald Isle, including family from County Down. Rooney’s father, Dan Rooney, was a United States ambassador to Ireland for four years from 2009-12.

The game will be played at Croke Park, the national stadium of Ireland.

Dublin will join London, Berlin and Madrid as part of the NFL’s 2025 International Series. Melbourne, Australia will host a game for the first time in 2026.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Who is playing in Ireland in 2025?

The Pittsburgh Steelers will be the designated home team for 2025’s game in Ireland, with an opponent yet to be determined.

‘We are very excited to be the designated team in the first regular-season game to be played in Ireland this upcoming season,’ said Steelers president Art Rooney II, per NFL.com. ‘The opportunity for the Pittsburgh Steelers to play in Ireland is truly special, not only because of the Rooney family history there, but also to play in front of the growing number of Steelers fans in Ireland. We are thrilled to be part of this historic event to represent Pittsburgh in a game that brings the NFL to the great sports fans in Ireland.’

The Steelers’ expansive fanbase and deep NFL legacy make them an easy pick for international games, as a franchise that has fans all over the country rather than concentrated in Pittsburgh.

Ireland football history

Ireland was a natural landing destination for the NFL, as the sport has a history there.

While this will be the first regular season NFL game played there, the Steelers did play a preseason game at Croke Park against the Chicago Bears in 1997. It was part of the American Bowl Series, and the Steelers won 30-17.

While the NFL’s ledger in Ireland may be short, college football has become a mainstay in Hibernia. The Aer Lingus College Football Classic has been played at Aviva Stadium annually since 2022, and will feature Farmageddon (Kansas State vs Iowa State) in 2025 before taking a hiatus in 2026 and returning in 2027 with Pitt vs Wisconsin. In all, nine college games have been played in Ireland since 1988, with Notre Dame and Navy playing each other in a third of those matchups.

Where are NFL International Series games in 2025?

Croke Park is the latest stadium to get announced for the 2025 season, joining several other stadiums in Europe.

The full international slate is not yet announced, but confirmed hosts (and teams confirmed) include:

Berlin, Germany (Olympic Stadium; Indianapolis Colts)
London, England (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium; New York Jets, Cleveland Browns)
London, England (Wembley Stadium; Jacksonville Jaguars)
Madrid, Spain (Bernabéu Stadium; Miami Dolphins)
Dublin, Ireland (Croke Park; Pittsburgh Steelers)

Mexico City remains a question mark as the city continues its renovations on Estadio Azteca in preparation for the 2026 World Cup, per the Sports Business Journal. The league could end up with up to eight games played internationally in 2025, with the announcement of Ireland marking the fifth one to be confirmed.

When will the NFL schedule be released?

The NFL continues to drip-feed fans its 2025 schedule in order to build anticipation for its International Series, but there are still plenty of question marks.

Ireland, for example, is the latest announced international date, but others are possible.

The NFL’s schedule release, like most bookkeeping NFL items, has become a small event in and of itself. It will be released in full sometime in the spring, with a definitive date not yet set. While every team knows its 2025 opponents, it does not yet know where on the calendar they will fall. The Ireland game, likewise, will be announced at a later date.