The firing of Mike Brown by the Sacramento Kings on Friday left a bad taste in the mouths of some NBA coaches, and they expressed as much in recent days.
The Kings replaced Brown with Doug Christie. Sacramento fell to 13-18 on Thursday, leading to the decision to fire Brown. However, it was the way the head coach was fired that didn’t seem to sit well with others.
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Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown yells instructions from the bench during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets in Sacramento, Calif., Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Randall Benton)
Sacramento’s front office informed Brown of the decision by phone as he drove to the team plane, ESPN reported.
Michael Malone of the Denver Nuggets, Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors and JB Bickerstaff of the Detroit Pistons were among those who spoke.
Malone chose a few words.
“I’m not surprised they fired Mike Brown, because the same person fired me,” Malone said after the Nuggets’ loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, via ESPN. “And what really bothered me was the fact that they lost [Thursday] night, fifth game in a row, I think. Hard loss. . . . They had practiced this morning. He makes his post-game posts, he’s in his car going to the airport to fly to Los Angeles and they call him on the phone.
“No class, no balls. That’s what I’ll say about it.”
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Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone watches the second half of an NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Kerr told reporters he was “disappointed” by the dismissal.
“Mike is a great friend, a great coach. I talked to him and we all know this is the nature of the business,” Kerr said, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “But it seems so shocking when a guy is unanimously voted Coach of the Year a year and a half ago.”
Bickerstaff echoed Malone’s words, calling the firing “classless.”
“He deserves better than that, you can make the decision you want, we understand,” he added via The Athletic. “But the way you treat human beings matters, and it’s extremely disappointing to see a coach, a guy you care about, a guy you know how good and talented he is, be treated that way, you know, and it’s It’s disappointing that people wouldn’t think to treat people like human beings and show them the respect they deserve, knowing the sacrifices that coaches make for their families, their personal health, everything, you know, what Mike has done for that team and that organization.
“You know, I just thought it was shit, to be honest with you, the way it was handled.”
Sacramento Kings center Isaac Jones is greeted by Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets in Sacramento, California, Monday, December 2024. (AP Photo/Randall Benton)
Brown was in the middle of his third season with the Kings. He took them to the playoffs in his first year in 2022-23. He was 107-89 as head coach.
