Former Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown shouts instructions to his players against the Denver Nuggets at Golden 1 Center on Mon Dec 16, 2024. Brown was fired by the Kings on Fri Dec 27, 2024 (AP News photo)
By Jerry Feitelberg
The Sacramento Kings on Friday afternoon announced that they have fired head coach Mike Brown. Brown had signed a three contract extension back in June worth $8.5 million per year. Brown was 13-18 when he was fired and the Kings were on a five game losing streak after losing to the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night 114-113 at Golden 1 Center.
The Kings at the time of Brown’s firing are in dead last in the NBA Pacific and are 12th in the Western Conference. Brown had coached a team practice Friday morning and had met with the media after practice and was notified by the team that he had been fired. The Kings were prepared to board a flight to Los Angeles after practice as the Kings face the Los Angeles Lakers Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena.
Brown is a two time NBA Coach of the Year Award winner and had won the award in 2023 after turning the Kings around who had won 30 games in 2022 to a 48-34 record and got the Kings into the post season. Last season’s winning record got Brown the three year contract extension and put Brown amongst the top eight highest paid coaches in the NBA.
Brown finishes his tenure with the Kings with a winning record at 107-88. Under Brown in the playoffs the Kings lost to the Golden State Warriors in a six game first round. Brown has been an assistant coach at the Washington Wizards, San Antonio Spurs, Indiana Pacers, and Warriors. He had been on NBA teams that won the Championships one with the Spurs and three with the Warriors.
No class no balls says Mike Malone: Former Kings and current Denver Nuggets head coach Mike Malone said that the way the Kings fired Brown was “no class no balls” as Malone described it on social media Brown had coached Friday’s practice and Brown met with the media and Brown was driving to the airport to fly with the team to Los Angeles when he got the call on the way to the airport that he had been fired. Malone said he got fired by the same person and what really angered Malone was the Kings who lost their fifth in a row lost on fouling Detroit Piston’s jump shooter Jaden Ivey in a narrow 114-113 decision on Thursday.
Sports Radio Service 