Mike Brown has been around the league long enough to know there’s no such thing as an easy gig in the NBA. He’s seen what it takes to build a winning team, keep a locker room together, and deliver results when the spotlight’s on. But if there’s one job that might test even his experience, it’s steering a team that’s already riding high and hungry for more.
Taking the reins at the Knicks, after the kind of season they just had, sounds like a tall order maybe even a little crazy. Yet, if you listen to Brown talk about it, you can’t help but feel his energy. He’s not backing down from the challenge, in fact, he’s fired up and ready to roll.
The crew over at NBA were tossing around the idea of Mike Brown possibly joining the Knicks, and Marc Spears jumped in with a little inside scoop. He said he actually talked to Brown and warned him, “Man, there’s a lot of pressure with this gig it’s a whole different beast.” But Brown didn’t even flinch. He said, “I love it. I want this.”
Mike Brown knows his way around an NBA locker room, that’s for sure. With a 455-304 record and playoff runs in seven of nine seasons, he’s got the resume. He famously took LeBron’s Cavs to the Finals in 2007 and turned things around in Sacramento, snapping their 17-year playoff drought and snagging Coach of the Year in 2023.
Mike Brown
San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich (left) and Golden State Warriors acting head coach Mike Brown shake hands after game four of the Western conference finals.
Soobum Im-Imagn Images
Now, with the Knicks moving on from Tom Thibodeau after their big Eastern Conference Finals run, Brown’s defensive mindset and culture-building vibe make him a natural fit. All that’s left is Knicks owner James Dolan’s final stamp of approval and it could happen any day now.