Sixers chairman Ed Snider can deny the Larry Brown rumors all he wants, but does anyone really believe him?

You can’t. Not when the Suxers are the laughingstock of the Philly sports community. Not when Larry Brown is the only man who might be able to take us from the brink of NBA purgatory. And, certainly not when Brown has a history of leaving cities after just a few years.

Denials usually mean one thing — there’s truth to be found.

If Snider really is not considering pursuing Brown to return as President, GM and coach of this godforsaken franchise, then shame on him. LB would be the ideal man to get the team on the right track while grooming his successor in the process. More on the second part of that plan in a bit.

The Sixers have to put the full court press on Larry Brown.

First, Brown sounds like he’d jump at the opportunity to return to the City of Brotherly Love. A city, mind you, that his wife and children have never left.

The Daily News’ Phil Jasner quotes Brown as saying, “I’ve said I’m not coaching anywhere but Charlotte. Now am I going to go home and talk to my wife and kids? I’ll be 70 years old . . . two young kids . . . Am I going to go talk to them? And find out what I need to do? And am I going to talk to Michael? Yeah . . . absolutely. But I’m not coaching anywhere but for Michael Jordan . . . if he wants me . . . and if I can work it out with my family.”

Anyone with an ounce of literary skills can make plenty of inferences here. The most obvious is that Brown is going to leave the Bobcats to be closer to his family. The Sixers have to be the leader in the clubhouse. Snider has remained very close with Brown. It’s a marriage that has worked and can work again.

The report also mentions Brown wanting Mike Woodson as coach if he doesn’t resign with Atlanta. Hogwash. Brown is a coach and will coach the Sixers if he comes here. The question is, at his age and with his propensity for leaving teams after three or four years, what will his exit strategy be?

How about Eric Snow as the coach in waiting. Think of him to Brown as Avery Johnson was to Don Nelson in Dallas. Snow was a hard nosed player who made a living by being a coach on the floor. He had the respect of Allen Iverson and LeBron James.

Snow will make an excellent coach someday if given the chance. Put him and Aaron McKie on the coaching staff and you have a bright future with two gys who know how to win. Brown can mold them into solid, if not great, head coaches.

Irregardless of Snow — which admittedly is a personal pipe dream at this point — the Sixers are dopes if the don’t fire Ed Stefanski yesterday and replace him with Larry Brown.

Mr. Snider: Time’s yours.