Championship coach praises Sacramento Kings’ Mike Brown
By Logan Struck
The Denver Nuggets have completed their dominant playoff run by winning the 2023 NBA Finals. Finals MVP Nikola Jokic was the star of the show, capping off one of the most impressive individual playoff runs in recent history. While the Nuggets showed they are a great team, it would not have been possible without being led by Head Coach Michael Malone.
Michael Malone has proven to be a premier coach in the NBA. Before beginning his Denver run in 2015, Malone was the Head Coach of a struggling Sacramento Kings team. Malone finished his career in Sacramento with a 39-67 record through 106 games, prominently on the 2013-14 team led by Demarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay, and Isaiah Thomas.
Before heading to Sacramento, Malone was an Assistant Coach for the Warriors, Hornets, Knicks, and, most notably, the Cleveland Cavaliers. In his five seasons in Cleveland, Malone was the Assistant to now Sacramento Kings Head Coach Mike Brown.
Mike Brown was the Head Coach in Cleveland from 2005 to 2010, where he had one Finals appearance and an impressive 305-187 record. His impressive run was highlighted by his 2008-2009 season, where the Cavaliers finished with a 66-16 record led by MVP LeBron James.
Michael Malone has given Mike Brown high praise in the past for everything he learned while being his Assistant Coach. Nick Friedell of ESPN reported (via @NickFriedell on Twitter):
"“I wouldn’t be a head coach if it wasn’t for Mike Brown and the opportunities he gave me.”"
Michael Malone values his time in Cleveland, where he learned from Mike Brown, but it is ironic how the Kings fired Malone and then hired Brown seven years later.
Mike Brown and Michael Malone are two of the premier Head Coaches in the NBA, especially last season when Brown was NBA Coach of the Year, and Malone finished 5th in the voting. There is no wonder why a coaching staff with both of them was able to have successful seasons on a team led by LeBron James.
All of Sacramento is happy for Michael Malone to be an NBA champion and hope that Mike Brown is next.
