The Sacramento Kings fired coach Mike Brown on Friday, lower than midway into his third season on the helm.
Brown, 54, guided the Kings to the Western Convention playoffs in his first 12 months on the job (2022-23), when he was voted NBA Coach of the 12 months, and to the play-in spherical final season. The crew awarded him with a three-year contract extension reportedly value $30 million in July.
However Sacramento is 13-18 this season, in twelfth place within the 15-team West. The Kings have misplaced 5 in a row — all at dwelling — after the Detroit Pistons beat them 114-113 on Thursday.
“This was a troublesome resolution, and I wish to thank Mike for his many contributions to the group,” Kings common supervisor Monte McNair stated in a press release.
Assistant coach Doug Christie was put in because the Kings’ interim coach. Christie, on the Kings’ workers since 2021, performed 15 seasons within the NBA, together with 4 1/2 for Sacramento from 2000-05.
The style through which Brown was fired did not sit properly with Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone, who was Sacramento’s head coach in 2013-14 and firstly of 2014-15 earlier than he was dismissed.
“I am not shocked that Mike Brown received fired, as a result of I received fired by the identical particular person,” Malone stated, referring to Kings proprietor Vivek Ranadive. “And what actually pissed me off about it was the truth that they misplaced (Thursday) night time, fifth recreation in a row, I imagine.
“Powerful loss. … They’d practiced this morning. He does his postgame media, and he is in his automotive going to the airport to fly to L.A. and so they name him on the cellphone.
“No class, no balls. That is what I will say about that.”
Brown went 107-88 in his two-plus seasons main the Kings, who employed him after a six-year run as an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors. Brown went 305-187 in six seasons teaching the Cleveland Cavaliers and 42-29 in components of two seasons with the Lakers.
The Kings go to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday earlier than returning to Sacramento for 3 dwelling video games subsequent week.
–Discipline Degree Media