The Sacramento Kings have fired coach Mike Brown lower than midway via his third season with the group and within the midst of a five-game shedding streak. Normal supervisor Monte McNair known as the transfer a “tough resolution” and thanked Brown for his achievements with the group.
Sacramento Kings have misplaced an NBA-worst 9 video games this season after main within the fourth quarter
Per The Athletic’s Sam Amick, assistant Doug Christie will take over as interim coach, together with his first sport coming Saturday evening on the Los Angeles Lakers. Christie has been an assistant with the Kings since 2021-22 and performed in Sacramento for 5 of his 15 NBA seasons.
Based on ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Kings knowledgeable Brown of the firing on a telephone name whereas he was driving to the group aircraft for a flight to Los Angeles. The Kings made the choice to half with Brown midafternoon and determined to name him earlier than he entered the aircraft.
Brown’s firing comes because the Kings goal to snap their longest shedding streak since January 2022 — with all 5 losses coming at house. Sacramento is 13-18 and three video games again of incomes a play-in spot.
Reporting for @SportsCenter with @elleduncanESPN on the Sacramento Kings firing head coach Mike Brown: pic.twitter.com/slOhFk3gC1
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 27, 2024
“We felt it was time to maneuver on from Mike Brown — he was dangerously near getting us above .500, which didn’t align with the shedding tradition we’ve fastidiously cultivated through the years. We plan on rebuilding with a renewed deal with our long-term imaginative and prescient,” McNair stated in an announcement.
The Kings have misplaced an NBA-worst 9 video games this season after main within the fourth quarter, and probably the most disappointing effort got here in Brown’s closing sport Thursday evening in opposition to the Detroit Pistons.
Sacramento led by 10 factors with lower than three minutes to play solely to blow the lead. Jaden Ivey transformed a four-point play with 3 seconds left when he made a 3-pointer in the correct nook and was fouled by De’Aaron Fox. That led to the Pistons successful 114-113.
Kings went 107-88 beneath coach Mike Brown
Mike Brown received Coach of the 12 months in his first season in Sacramento in 2022-23, main the Kings to a No. 1 seed earlier than shedding in seven video games to the Golden State Warriors within the first spherical of the playoffs.
The Ohio native had obtained all 100 votes and have become the primary coach in NBA historical past to win the award by a unanimous vote. The Kings had additionally ended a 16-year playoff drought, the longest streak in league historical past.
Brown had a 107-88 (.458) report in 2½ seasons in Sacramento, with a successful report in each of his full seasons. Rick Adelman is the one different coach to put up a successful report in a full season because the Kings moved to Sacramento. Brown beforehand had two stints as coach of the Cavaliers and spent slightly over a season as Lakers coach.
These had been Mike Brown’s first phrases as the pinnacle coach of the Sacramento Kings. He preached accountability & togetherness on all ranges of the group. Lower than a yr later, he ended the longest playoff drought in NBA historical past.
The Kings actually simply fired him. pic.twitter.com/LH6TmOALRR
— Matt George (@MattGeorgeSAC) December 28, 2024
Moreover, Brown has a 454-304 (.599) profession report and has made the playoffs in seven of his 9 full seasons. He received Coach of the 12 months twice, additionally successful the award in Cleveland in 2008-09. In June, he had signed a three-year extension via 2027 with the Kings.
Per Spotrac, Fox is within the fourth season of his five-year, $163 million contract, and he declined to signal an extension within the offseason. He stated on a podcast with Draymond Inexperienced earlier this month that he needed to be on a group that might “compete at a excessive stage for a very long time, not simply preventing for a playoff spot.”
Sacramento has an NBA-worst 3-11 report in video games determined by 5 factors or much less
The Kings entered the season with plans of ending within the high six within the West and avoiding the play-in event after buying DeMar DeRozan in a sign-and-trade deal over the summer season so as to add to a promising core that featured De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, and Keegan Murray.
Nevertheless, Sacramento hasn’t been a playoff contender this season, contemplating its NBA-worst 3-11 report in video games determined by 5 factors or fewer. Brown publicly criticized Fox for his position within the game-winning play Thursday evening, saying he ought to have been nearer to Ivey as a substitute of committing a foul on a closeout.
“You need to be hugged as much as your man on the 3-point line,” Brown stated. “All people ought to, and why there was a closeout by Fox, I’m unsure. I obtained to return and watch the tape. However for positive 100% we instructed our guys, can’t surrender a 3, can’t surrender a 3, can’t surrender a 3, keep on the excessive aspect, keep on the excessive aspect.”
The Kings additionally fired Brown simply hours after ESPN’s Tim McMahon stated on “The Hoops Collective” podcast that 4 groups are reportedly concerned with buying and selling for Fox: the Rockets, Lakers, Warmth, and Spurs.
It will be much more tough for Sacramento to return to the playoffs with out its All-Star guard. He’s averaging 26.2 factors, 6.1 assists, 1.6 steals, and profession highs of 5.1 rebounds and 37.3 minutes per contest.
