John Kuester has frequently mentioned how much he owes his former boss Larry Brown, but the head coach of the Bobcats said on Wednesday that it is mutual.

"I don't look at him as my prot?g?. He's been a big part of my career. I owe a lot to him," said Brown. "But the nice thing is there is a lot of guys in this league that have helped me that are doing quite well and have positions that they deserve.

"I am happy for him. He deserves it. Joe (Dumars, the Pistons president of basketball operations) recognized that. He's given him a wonderful opportunity. This is a great place to coach and it's a great organization to work for. John will do a great job. He's done a phenomenal job wherever he's been. He's been loyal. I'm confident he'll do a great job here."