Brown, who coached the Sixers for six seasons and guided them to the 2001 NBA Finals, was hired yesterday as the head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats.

Cheeks was an assistant coach under Brown from 1997 to 2001 with the Sixers before becoming head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers.

Through the years, the two have maintained a close relationship, one that continued to grow when Brown was hired as an executive vice president of the Sixers in January 2007. Brown resigned from that position Thursday to pursue coaching options.

"He brings instant credibility to their franchise because he has been such a great coach over the years," Cheeks said. "It's great for him, and that is what he really wants to do."

Cheeks said he leaned heavily on Brown's advice this season.

"I have had a great relationship with him," Cheeks said. "He has helped me tremendously throughout this year, being a guy I can go talk to and call and ask him certain things."

The 67-year-old Brown is the fifth-winningest coach in NBA history with 1,010 victories. The Hall of Famer guided the Detroit Pistons to the 2004 title and led them to the NBA Finals in his second and final year there, in 2005.

"He is at peace when he is coaching," said Pistons guard Lindsey Hunter, who played two seasons in Detroit for Brown. "I've seen Coach Brown coach 3-year-olds. He just has it in his blood, and you love to see him back doing what he loves to do."

Brown last coached in the NBA in 2005-2006, when he went 23-59 in his only season with the New York Knicks. He has coached nine NBA/ABA teams, three more than any other coach - Kevin Loughery and Lenny Wilkens each coached six.

"I think I've coached almost everybody in the NBA, but I'm going to challenge everybody to do their best," Brown said at a news conference in Charlotte.

While coaching the Knicks Brown clashed with management.

"I was a bad coach. I did a bad job. I learned from that," Brown said. "But being out of it in the last few years, even though I had a title in Philly . . . I just missed being around the game. I love it. I want to be a part of it."

"We knew it wouldn't be long until he reenergized that battery and got back on the sideline," Hunter said. "I'm happy for him and know he will do a great job down there."

This article contains information from the Associated Press.