INDEPENDENCE — Cavaliers coach Mike Brown often credits mentors like San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich and Rick Carlisle, the head coach in Indiana when Brown was an assistant there, for teaching him the game.

In turn, John Kuester — given his first head coaching opportunity this season by the Detroit Pistons, who host the Cavaliers tonight at The Palace of Auburn Hills — credits Brown for showing him the ropes during his time as an assistant in Cleveland.

Of course, Popovich and Carlisle also had teachers, just as legends like John Wooden and Red Auerbach once learned the game and borrowed concepts from other coaches.

“We’d all probably get 130 years-plus in prison if they considered that stuff stealing,” Brown said Tuesday at Cleveland Clinic Courts. “No parole. I’d probably get about 250 years. Everything I have on the board in (the coaches office), I stole from somebody.”

Kuester, who spent two seasons in Cleveland, played a pivotal role in the Cavaliers’ offensive development last season. Brown, a defensive-minded coach by nature, pretty much turned over the reins to his assistant at that end of the floor and Cleveland thrived.

With Kuester now in Detroit, up-and-coming assistant Mike Malone is now in charge of Cleveland’s offense, which has been forced to make some adjustments to accommodate low-post presence Shaquille O’Neal.

Kuester’s influence, however, remains with the Cavaliers. It’s also now evident in Detroit, so there won’t be a lot of secrets tonight.

“They run the same sets we run for the most part,” Cleveland small forward LeBron James said. “It’s going to almost be like going against ourselves in practice, but with different players.

“The one year he was here was fun. I’m looking forward to going against him.”

So is Brown, who like Kuester is in his first head coaching position, albeit his fifth season instead of his first.

“We miss everything about Kuester,” Brown said. “He brings a lot to the table. Having said that, we’ll be fine.”

This won’t be the first time Brown has gone against one of his former assistants, as Kenny Natt went 11-47 with Sacramento last season after taking over for Reggie Theus. Natt has since been replaced by Paul Westphal.

Kuester, who was also an NBA assistant with Orlando, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Detroit and Boston, is off to a 5-9 start with the Pistons, who have had All-Star Richard Hamilton for just one game due to a sprained ankle and small forward Tayshaun Prince for only three games because of a ruptured disk.

“It’s exciting,” Brown said of going against his former assistant. “Obviously, I was once an assistant coach. As an assistant coach, most guys want that opportunity to see what it’s like to be a head coach in this league. For him to get that opportunity is a great thing.

“He’s a very good coach. That was the right hire by (Pistons general manager) Joe Dumars. He’s a guy who can bring a group together. He’s a guy who knows what he’s talking about offensively and he knows what he’s talking about defensively.”

Media friendly

James has taken a bit of heat locally and nationally for saying all NBA players should cease wearing No. 23 as a way of honoring Michael Jordan, as well as for recent comments that he could be a good NFL player if he put in the time.

The 24-year-old was also the focus of a tabloid-style story that aired Monday on WOIO-TV’s “19 Action News.” The approximate five-minute segment, which the station heavily promoted in an apparent attempt to garner ratings during Sweeps Week, was entitled “More Than a Mess,” a takeoff from the James movie that prompted it, “More Than a Game.”

The mostly one-sided segment came down hard on James for failing to return memorabilia that belonged to residents of a government-assisted apartment complex in Akron. The incident happened more than two years ago during the filming of James’ movie. The story barely mentioned that James, who lived in the complex as a youth and was filming there in 2007, offered all sorts of autographed items in an attempt to make things right with residents, who reportedly gave him numerous collectibles he was supposed to sign and return.

Despite all the above, James has remained one of the most accessible and accommodating superstars in the NBA, almost always making himself available to the media before games, which many big-name players never do.

“It is what it is,” James said when asked about some media members taking his comments out of context. “I can only express the way I feel with a situation that may be going on at that point in time.

“I know who I am. I respect what you guys do and I respect what I do. At end of the day, I’m going to protect myself, protect my family and my teammates. I’ve never been wary about what I say or how the media can turn it upside down. It happens, but I’m OK with it.”

Shaq status

Brown said O’Neal, who has missed the last five games with a strained left shoulder, would be a game-time decision tonight, but James, who usually has a great read on what’s going on with the Cavaliers, made it sound like the 18th-year pro would be in the lineup.

“It adds another piece to our puzzle we sorely missed — an inside presence,” said James, who made no mention of O’Neal possibly not playing. “Having him back at practice and in our game (tonight) is good.”

The Palace

Though the Pistons are a far cry from the team they once were, The Palace remains one of the more hard-core basketball arenas in the league.

“It’s one of the toughest venues,” James said. “When it comes to fans and the way they talk, it’s one of the worst. It’s not bad for me. Other players may think it’s bad, but I love it, honestly.

“I feed off it,” James added of playing in hostile environments. “I like playing on the road a lot, going against the adversity that goes with playing on the road and people really rooting against you and things like that. I thrive off moments like that.”

Tonight

• Who: Cleveland at Detroit
• Time: 8 o’clock
• Where: The Palace of Auburn Hills (Mich.)
• TV/radio: FS Ohio; WEOL 930-AM, WTAM 1100-AM

Contact Rick Noland at (330) 721-4061 or rickn@ohio.net.

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