The Sacramento Kings have fired coach Mike Brown lower than midway by means of his third season with the workforce and within the midst of a five-game shedding streak. Basic supervisor Monte McNair referred to as the transfer a “troublesome 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 night time 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.
In response to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Kings knowledgeable Brown of the firing on a cellphone name whereas he was driving to the workforce 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 intention to snap their longest shedding streak since January 2022 — with all 5 losses coming at residence. 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 rigorously cultivated through the years. We plan on rebuilding with a renewed deal with our long-term imaginative and prescient,” McNair mentioned 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 remaining sport Thursday night time towards 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 fitting 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 gained 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 acquired 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 submit a successful report in a full season for the reason that Kings moved to Sacramento. Brown beforehand had two stints as coach of the Cavaliers and spent somewhat over a season as Lakers coach.
These had been Mike Brown’s first phrases as the top coach of the Sacramento Kings. He preached accountability & togetherness on all ranges of the group. Lower than a 12 months 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 gained Coach of the 12 months twice, additionally successful the award in Cleveland in 2008-09. In June, he had signed a three-year extension by means of 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 mentioned on a podcast with Draymond Inexperienced earlier this month that he wished to be on a workforce that might “compete at a excessive degree 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 time 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 night time, saying he ought to have been nearer to Ivey as an alternative of committing a foul on a closeout.
“Try to be hugged as much as your man on the 3-point line,” Brown mentioned. “Everyone ought to, and why there was a closeout by Fox, I’m undecided. I obtained to return and watch the tape. However for certain 100% we advised our guys, can’t hand over a 3, can’t hand over a 3, can’t hand over a 3, keep on the excessive aspect, keep on the excessive aspect.”
The Kings additionally fired Brown simply hours after ESPN’s Tim McMahon mentioned on “The Hoops Collective” podcast that 4 groups are reportedly fascinated with buying and selling for Fox: the Rockets, Lakers, Warmth, and Spurs.
It might be much more troublesome 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.
