Mike Brown did not seek advice from Gregg Popovich, acknowledging the fact that his coaching mentor clearly supports the Spurs in the NBA Finals.
Asking Gregg Popovich for some advice in facing the San Antonio Spurs for the 2026 NBA Finals will never be on the checklist of Mike Brown as he prepares the New York Knicks.
San Antonio Spurs / Schedule
In his pregame speech for Game 1 of the title series, Brown dismissed the idea of talking and seeking advice from his mentor, who is clearly supporting the Spurs for this year's NBA Finals.
"No," Brown told reporters when asked whether he sought advice from Popovich ahead of the series. "He’s savvy, he’s very competitive, and if I reached out to him and asked him for some advice, he’d give me some BS that worked against us.
"I can’t reach out to him."
Brown served as an assistant coach for Popovich for three years in San Antonio. He helped the Spurs win the 2003 NBA championship.
He has already faced Popovich and the Spurs at the title stage in the past, when he and the Cleveland Cavaliers were swept in the 2007 Finals.
This year's Finals would be a full-circle moment once again for Brown, meeting Popovich and the Spurs for the right to win it all.
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