The Sacramento Kings hope they have found their leader in former Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Kings inked Brown to a four-year deal.
The Sacramento Kings have agreed with Golden State assistant Mike Brown on a four-year contract to become the franchise’s next coach, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 8, 2022
The Kings are looking for some stability at the position.
Since the 2015-16 season, the team has been a revolving door of coaches, with four different individuals running the sidelines.
For reference, the Warriors, the team which Mike Brown currently serves as an assistant coach, has had the same coach: Steve Kerr.
A big factor in that has been personnel.
The Kings have regularly trotted out some of the most poorly-constructed lineups across the Association.
In fact, the Kings are in the midst of a 16-year playoff drought, the most in NBA history.
Cav-Man, Part I
Brown came to Euclid Ave by way of Indianapolis back in 2005, where he served as an assistant coach to then-Pacers head Rick Carlisle.
Before that, Brown served as an assistant (his first coaching gig) to San Antonio Spurs guru and legend Greg Popovich.
In his first Cleveland stint, Brown joined a team desperate to get LeBron James to the postseason.
And Brown delivered.
In his first season, the team won 50 games and a first-round playoff series.
The next season, Brown’s Cavs upset the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals, earning LeBron’s first chance at an NBA ring.
Of course…it wouldn’t come.
The student clearly had not yet become the master; Browns’ Cavs were swept by Popovich’s Spurs.
In his five years at the helm, Brown’s Cavs advanced past the first round of the playoffs every year.
The Lake Show
After being fired by Dan Gilbert (in a failed attempt to keep LeBron in Cleveland), Brown joined the Los Angeles Lakers as a head coach.
In 2011, Brown navigated the Lakers to a second-round playoff exit in a lockout-shortened season.
But there was hope on the horizon.
The stars were aligning for the young coach, in more ways than one.
Not only was he coaching one of the most heralded teams in American sports, but the tinsel-town club had also gone out and acquired Steve Nash and Dwight Howard.
Both were expected to join Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol to form the next great Lakers squad.
Instead, the team was a major disappointment.
Utilizing the Princeton Offense, Brown’s Lakers sputtered.
He was fired in November of the 2012-13 season, in a start plagued by injury and a front office-induced urgency to win.
Cav-Man, Part II
In 2013, Brown was brought back to the Cavaliers.
It was a lesson in getting back together with your ex.
Brown’s lone season back in Cleveland was a failure; the team posted a losing record–the first of Brown’s career.
Mike Brown deserved another shot and got it with Sacramento. Congrats to the former Cavs HC. #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/azn7coCOoK
— Mack Perry (@DevaronPerry) May 8, 2022
In spring 2014, Brown was fired.
Brown clearly has the experience to coach a team to the playoffs.
How deep is another question entirely.
But for Sacramento, it may not matter.
The team is starved for a chance to play deeper into the season than mid-April.
Leave a Reply