After a shocking dismissal in Sacramento, Mike Brown steered the New York Knicks to a historic sweep, ending a 25-year Finals drought and proving his critics wrong.
The Sacramento Kings parted ways with coach Mike Brown on Dec. 27, 2024, and a year and a half later, Brown has led the New York Knicks to their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999.
Brown's departure from Sacramento was shocking to fans and was an outcome that former Kings star De'Aaron Fox did not want. The Kings fired their coach when he was on the way to the airport ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers matchup.
Coaches around the league voiced their displeasure with the way the organization handled the firing. However, Brown was thankful for the situation, as it led him to his new venture.
“I’ve got to thank (Kings owner) Vivek Ranadivé for giving me an opportunity,” Brown told reporters in Cleveland. “Obviously, it didn’t work out.”
Brown has gotten the Knicks over the Eastern Conference Finals hump that former coach Tom Thibodeau couldn't. New York swept the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, and it was a thorough defeat.
The Knicks beat the Cavaliers 130-93, and while Game 4 put the nail in the coffin, Cleveland's 22-point collapse in Game 1 felt like the series-ender to many NBA fans. New York defeated Cleveland by 10 points or more in every game.
Brown took his team to the promised land in one year, backed by a dominant playoff run. The Knicks have won eight straight games, sweeping the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cavaliers in back-to-back rounds.
His time in Sacramento ended roughly, but Brown rolled with the punches and landed in New York. Brown said he felt he would earn another coaching gig at some point, whether it was as an assistant or a head coach.
"Obviously, this opportunity came up, and from afar, I just felt that this team was ready," Brown said. "I’m just thrilled to death that (Knicks owner James Dolan) and (Knicks president) Leon Rose gave me an opportunity to be a head coach again, especially here in New York.”
Brown spent two full seasons with the Kings; he was fired 31 games into his third campaign. He uplifted Sacramento out of mediocrity, leading the team to the playoffs in his first season.
The Kings broke a 17-year playoff drought, and Brown won the Coach of the Year award in 2023. They fizzled out in seven games against the Golden State Warriors, but the organization's future looked bright.
Sacramento aimed to build off its first playoff appearance in the following season, but couldn't. Injuries plagued the roster, and the team fell to the Play-In Tournament, losing to the Dallas Mavericks.
While Brown has ascended and reached the NBA Finals, the Kings have plummeted. Sacramento is looking forward to drafting a franchise player with the seventh overall pick in next month's draft.
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