Coach Larry Brown, and Isiah Thomas. (NYPost)

Larry Brown says Wednesday on “CenterStage” on YES that he believes he could have won with the Knicks if Isiah Thomas had been more patient.

“I have always been a Knicks fan. . . . I think Isiah [Thomas] didn’t like the hire,” Brown said. “Well, he hired me, but I don’t think he liked what he got. He thought we should be better.

“Again, when you win 23 games and the expectations are great, sometimes people aren’t patient enough to wait and to get things right.”

Why does Brown feel he could have flourished if given more than one year?

“Everywhere I have been, we have won,” he said. “You had an owner that’s willing to do anything to be successful. . . . I know a lot of people criticized [owner James] Dolan and he is a different kind of bird, but he cares about winning and he’ll give you an opportunity to win.

“But you got to be attached at the hip to the people you work for,” Brown added. “Every place I have ever been, if you didn’t have a great relationship with the owner and the general manager, you have no chance.

. . . I didn’t have that relationship here.”

HS senior gets a ‘Gold’ star

Recent Fort Atkinson High School graduate Mitch Arnold, a former standout swimmer and soccer player, was presented by the M Foundation with their inaugural Gold M Award for his excellence on and off the field. He said he was thrilled meeting David Wright Monday night at Citi Field, where he was awarded $20,000 from Mission Athletecare.

“To meet David Wright and to receive the Gold Award was indescribable,” Arnold, 18, told The Rumble. “It was a surreal experience and it was very exciting to not only win this prestigious award, but also meet one of the best players in baseball.”

Arnold, who has shipped soccer balls and equipment to 58 countries and to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, received the following Certificate of Appreciation from the 1203rd Engineer Battalion in Iraq:

“For outstanding support of the 1203rd Engineer Battalion Humanitarian Assistance Missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom 07-09. Your contribution of supplies has had a significant impact on the success of US operations in and around the Salah and Din Province and of the lives of numerous Iraqi children.”

“When I received the letter from Iraq, it was really, really special,” Arnold said. “Knowing that our national heroes halfway across the world appreciate what I did was amazing.”

Bernie a hit at Bronx community center

Yankees legend Bernie Williams joined “Drops of Good: The Maxwell House Community Project” Wednesday to help complete massive renovations at a local community center.

Williams lent a helping hand at The Bronx’s Mill Brook Community Center by painting several rooms.

He capped off the renovation event by speaking to the Bronx community during the ribbon-cutting to unveil the revitalized Center. The Mill Brook Community Center was voted by the American public as one of five community centers receiving the makeover of a lifetime, with up to $50,000 in renovations this summer.

An Amazin’ call to action

Never has a telephone been put to better use.

This year the Mets instituted a new program called “Amazin’ Calls,” where the players, along with manager Terry Collins, reach out to deserving individuals in the community.

During the call the Mets’ personnel invite the recipient to a game where they meet them on the field to continue their conversation and take photos before taking seats next to the dugout.

“All the guys on the team really love making the calls,” said David Wright, who phoned John Falcone Sr., whose son, police officer John Falcone Jr., was killed in the line of duty. “We get a chance to bring smiles to the faces of a lot of deserving people.”

This week, Daniel Murphy spoke to six-year-old Matthew Roberts, who has muscular dystrophy, and Mike Pelfrey talked to Nick Morrissey, a high-school right-handed pitcher who lost his brother earlier this year. The Morrisseys attended last night’s game against Atlanta, and the Roberts will be there for today’s matchup with the Braves.

“You could hear the excitement in Matthew’s voice when I spoke to him,” Murphy said. “It’s a good feeling that you are doing some good.”

The visits take place at every Saturday and Sunday home game at Citi Field.

Key RBI’s for local youth teams

Jersey City RBI (ages 13-15) and the Greater New York Sandlot Athletic Alliance (ages 16-18) are heading to Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn. to represent the Northeast Region at the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) World Series, the championship tournament of Major League Baseball’s RBI Program.

They will be competing in separate divisions against squads from across the United States, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. Championship games for both divisions will be held at Target Field, home of the Twins, and the senior division (ages 16-18) championship game will air live on MLB Network and MLB.com.

RBI World Series play begins Wednesday.