New York Knicks hire Mike Brown, a two-time NBA Coach of the Year

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks hired Mike Brown on Monday, turning to the two-time NBA Coach of the Year after firing Tom Thibodeau.

The Knicks offered the job to Brown last week and announced Monday that he would be taking over the team that reached the Eastern Conference finals last season for the first time in 25 years.

They decided to fire Thibodeau despite that and eventually picked Brown, who wasn’t out of work long after getting fired by the Sacramento Kings during last season.

The Knicks liked Brown’s experience working as an assistant on teams that have won four NBA championships — two more than the Knicks franchise has won.

“Mike has coached on the biggest stages in our sport and brings championship pedigree to our organization,” Knicks president Leon Rose said in a statement. “His experience leading the bench during the NBA Finals, winning four titles as an assistant coach and his ability to grow and develop players will all help us as we aim to bring a championship to New York for our fans.”

Brown had led the Kings to the postseason in 2023 — their first appearance since 2006 — and was voted the Coach of the Year. He also won the award in Cleveland, where he led the Cavaliers to the 2007 NBA Finals.

He was on San Antonio’s bench when the Spurs won the 2023 NBA title and was with the Golden State Warriors for their 2017, ’18 and ’22 championships, including going 12-0 as the acting head coach during the 2017 postseason when Steve Kerr was sidelined with a back injury.

Brown is 454-304 in 11 seasons, winning at least 45 games in seven of them.

He will take over a Knicks team with championship potential. The Knicks won at least 50 games in each of the last two seasons and knocked off 2024 champion Boston before falling to Indiana in six games in the East finals.

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