Mike Brown Reflects on Kings Tenure, Embraces New Chapter with Knicks
Mike Brown isn’t one to dwell on the past, but when asked about his time with the Sacramento Kings, he didn’t hesitate to show appreciation. Now with the New York Knicks and preparing for a high-stakes showdown in the NBA Cup championship game, Brown took a moment to reflect - not with bitterness, but with gratitude.
Brown, of course, was the head coach who finally snapped Sacramento’s infamous playoff drought. That alone etched his name into Kings history.
But despite that milestone, his time in Sacramento came to an end. Since then, he’s landed in New York, joining a Knicks team that’s coming off a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals - their first since 2000.
Now, he’s tasked with taking them even further. And while there’s plenty of excitement around what Brown brings to the Knicks, his comments about the Kings ahead of Tuesday’s matchup against the Spurs offered a glimpse into how he views his journey.
“I wanna thank the Kings… [owner] Vivek [Ranadive] gave me an opportunity to coach this team. I’ll always be grateful for anybody who gave me an opportunity and that was no different,” Brown said during his press conference.
That gratitude extended beyond the front office. Brown spoke warmly about his family’s time in Sacramento and the fanbase that supported him during his tenure.
“We enjoyed Sacramento, we thank the fans and they were fabulous,” he said. “Change happens… feel blessed to be in this situation with the Knicks.”
That kind of perspective is classic Mike Brown - grounded, focused, and always looking ahead. He acknowledged the realities of coaching in the NBA, where job security is fleeting and control over your own path is limited.
“You don’t have a lot of control over your destiny or your path. To be able to land with an organization like this, you take advantage of it,” he said.
Brown made it clear he’s not spending time looking back. His focus is firmly on the present - and on building something sustainable in New York.
“I don’t have a lot of time to reflect on the past,” he said. “I’m about being present and trying to figure out how we go as an organization.”
Still, Tuesday’s matchup carries a bit of personal significance. Brown will face off against two players he knows well: De’Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes, both of whom played under him in Sacramento. Fox, in particular, has become increasingly vocal about his own experiences with the Kings.
Brown, for his part, had nothing but praise for his former players.
“Tremendous human beings,” he said of Fox and Barnes - a simple but sincere compliment from a coach who values character as much as talent.
The Knicks and Spurs enter Tuesday’s NBA Cup title game with matching 18-7 records, both sitting comfortably in the top five of their respective conferences. It’s a marquee matchup - and for Brown, a chance to show just how far he’s come since leaving Sacramento.
No drama. No hard feelings. Just a coach embracing the next chapter - and doing it with the kind of poise and perspective that’s made him one of the league’s most respected voices.