The Sacramento Kings' firing of Mike Brown on Friday left a sour taste in the mouths of some NBA coaches, who have expressed that in recent days as well.
The Kings replaced Brown with Doug Christie. Sacramento fell to 13-18 on Thursday, which led to the decision to fire Brown. However, it seems that the way the head coach was fired did not sit well with others.
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Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown shouts instructions from the bench during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024 in Sacramento, California. (AP Photo/Randall Benton)
According to ESPN, Sacramento's front office informed Brown of the decision over the phone while he was on his way to the team plane.
Michael Malone of the Denver Nuggets, Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors and JB Bickerstaff of the Detroit Pistons were among those who spoke out.
Malone had a few words.
After the Nuggets' loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Malone said, “I'm not surprised that Mike Brown got fired, because I was fired by the same guy.” Via ESPN. “And what was really disappointing was the fact that they lost.” [Thursday] I think it was five games in a row that night. A tough loss. . . . They were practicing this morning. He was doing post-game media work and they called him while he was in the car heading to the airport to fly to Los Angeles.
“No classes, no balls. I'm going to say that.”
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Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone looks on during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks on Monday, Nov. 25, 2024 in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zarbowski)
Kerr told reporters he was “disappointed” by his firing.
“Mike is a great friend and a great coach. I've talked to him and we all kind of know this is the nature of the business,” Kerr said. NBC Sports Bay Area. “But a year and a half ago, a player was unanimously named Coach of the Year, which seems pretty shocking.”
Bickerstaff echoed Malone's words, calling the shooting “class-based.”
“He deserves more than that. He is free to make whatever decision he wants, we understand that,” he added. The Athletic. “But the way a person is treated matters and it's very disappointing to see a coach, a player you care about, a player you know how good and talented he is, treated like that. And that's unfortunate.'' If people knew that coaches sacrificed for their families, for their personal health, for what Mike did for that team, for everything else, it would make people less human. You won't think to treat them and show them the respect they deserve. organization.
“Well, to be honest, I thought the way you handled it was terrible.”
Sacramento Kings center Isaac Jones is greeted during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024 in Sacramento, California. (AP Photo/Randall Benton)
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Brown was in the midst of his third season with the Kings. He led the team to the playoffs in his first season in 2022-23. He was 107-89 as a head coach.
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