EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Avery Johnson said he agreed Wednesday to become the coach of the Nets, the NBA’s worst team.
The ESPN analyst coached Dallas for three-plus seasons, going 194-70 in the regular season and 23-24 in the playoffs. He guided the Mavericks to the NBA Finals in 2006 but was fired after a first-round playoff series loss to New Orleans in 2008.
Johnson will take over a team that posted a league- worst 12-70 record and set a league-record opening the season with 18 straight losses.
The lousy start led to the firing of coach Lawrence Frank after 16 games. Outgoing general manager Kiki Vandeweghe served as the interim coach for the majority of the franchise’s worst season.
Must-see TV
BOSTON — The Lakers’ victory in Boston in the NBA Finals earned the highest television ratings for a Game 3 since 2004.
The Lakers’ 91-84 win earned an 11.5 overnight rating, 14 percent better than the Lakers and Orlando posted in Game 3 last year. It was the highest-rated show on television Tuesday night, helping ABC win prime time.
The Associated Press
