If you haven't heard that the New York Knicks have won their first NBA title in 53 years by now, that's not on me for spoiling it for you. A big part of the reason the Knicks finally won is head coach Mike Brown. He brought the best out of his team, which is what he did for the Sacramento Kings.
After being a coach in the NBA since 1997, Brown won his first NBA Championship as a head coach. He actually already has four titles as an assistant coach. Ironically, one of those titles was with the San Antonio Spurs in 2003, the team his Knicks just beat for the chip.
Former Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau played a major role in developing this roster, but Brown got them over the finish line. He had a clear approach to the game that brought the bench into the mix and focused on utilizing individual strengths without losing team integrity.
Players like Jose Alvarado, Karl-Anthony Towns, and OG Anunoby had absolutely amazing post-seasons, largely thanks to the coaching of Mike Brown. Sacramento fans got a taste of this during his brief tenure as the head coach of the Kings. It's also a vision of what he could have done for the team.
The "what ifs" of Brown as the Kings' head coach
As everyone knows, Brown joined the Kings for the 2022-2023 season, got them to the playoffs for the first time in 16 years, and received NBA Coach of the Year honors for his work. Then the ownership showed their gratitude by firing him around Christmas during the 2024-2025 season.
After winning a championship with the Knicks in his first season, Kings' fans are left wondering what might have been. Naturally, Brown wouldn't have won a title with Sacramento any time soon, as the roster was an absolute mess at that time, and is only marginally better now.
At the same time, Brown would likely have been a better coach to shepherd the Kings through the rebuild than Doug Christie. He definitely has more experience as a head coach and being part of successful franchises. But Christie is starting to build chemistry with the rookies and sophomores.
The simple reality is that no one knows what would have happened if Brown stayed with the Kings, other than him not winning a title with the Knicks. In the end, he is exactly where he's supposed to be and that championship proves it. Now, it's time for the Kings to forge their own path without him.
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