NEW YORKMike Brown had worked for four championship teams, something the New York Knicks found appealing.
For a franchise that has only won two titles in over 50 years but feels that the moment has come to win another, that sounds promising.
Suggested Videos
After firing Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks turned to the two-time NBA Coach of the Year when they hired Brown on Monday.
He revealed on Monday that he will be taking over the Knicks, who made it to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years, last week. The deal’s terms were not revealed.
In spite of that postseason success, they ultimately selected Brown, who was still employed shortly after being let go by the Sacramento Kings the previous season.
In a statement, Knicks president Leon Rose said, “Mike brings championship pedigree to our organization and has coached on the biggest stages in our sport.” We will benefit from his four championships as an assistant coach, his expertise commanding the bench during the NBA Finals, and his ability to develop players as we work to deliver a championship to New York for our supporters.
Brown was elected Coach of the Year after leading the Kings to a 48-34 record and their first postseason berth since 2006. In Cleveland, where he guided the Cavaliers to the 2007 NBA Finals, he also received the award.
He was on San Antonio’s bench when the Spurs won the NBA championship in 2003. He went 12-0 as the interim head coach during the 2017 postseason when Steve Kerr was sidelined due to a back ailment, and he was with the Golden State Warriors for their championships in 2017–18 and 22.
Brown has won at least 45 games in seven of his 11 seasons, going 454-304 overall.
He will take over a Knicks squad that has the ability to win a championship. Before losing to Indiana in six games in the East finals, the Knicks defeated Boston, the 2024 champion, and won at least 50 games in each of the previous two seasons.
The Knicks will be among the East favorites because the Pacers will be without their top point guard for the upcoming season after he tore his right Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, and the Celtics are in transition due to Jayson Tatum’s injury and the trade of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday.
Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, two All-NBA choices, are in their starting lineup. On Monday, they bolstered their bench by adding Guerschon Yabusele, who played for Philadelphia the previous season, and former Utah guard Jordan Clarkson, one of the league’s top scorers.
The Knicks fired Thibodeau after he guided them to the postseason four of his five seasons, possibly because he was reluctant to employ some of his bench players. They haven’t won a postseason series since 2013, but they have advanced to at least the second round in the past three seasons.
However, they haven’t taken home a title since 1973. About two months after the 55-year-old Brown’s birth, they won their first championship in 1970.
___
AP NBA:
