The Sacramento Kings have made a decisive move by firing head coach Mike Brown.
The decision comes as a surprise, considering Brown’s success in leading the Kings to break their 16-season playoff drought and earning NBA Coach of the Year honors for the 2022-23 campaign.
Despite signing a contract extension through 2026-27 just six months ago, Brown’s tenure ended following a challenging 13-18 start to this season.
The news sent ripples through the NBA, with Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle expressing his disbelief.
“The firing of Mike Brown today was just shocking to me,” Carlisle said, via Justin Turpin of WEEI.
Rick Carlisle opened up his press conference with a few words on the firing of Mike Brown:
“The firing of Mike Brown today was just shocking to me… I view him as one of the standard bearers of integrity for our profession. I’m just absolutely shocked that decision was made.” pic.twitter.com/ZmUwiTNSIW
— Justin Turpin (@JustinmTurpin) December 27, 2024
Drawing from his previous experience working with Brown, Carlisle expressed confidence in his colleague’s resilience.
“I view him as one of the standard bearers for integrity for our profession, and I’m just absolutely shocked that that decision was made,” Carlisle said.
The Kings’ struggles this season have been evident, particularly in late-game situations. They’ve lost nine games after holding a fourth-quarter lead, the worst record in the league.
Brown’s final game as head coach was a loss to the Detroit Pistons, adding another disappointing result to their ledger.
The Kings entered the campaign with high expectations, aiming to secure a top-six finish in the Western Conference and bypass the play-in tournament.
Sacramento’s front office bolstered the roster during the offseason, bringing in DeMar DeRozan through a sign-and-trade deal to complement the core of De’Aaron Fox, Domanta Sabonis and Keegan Murray.
However, the anticipated results failed to materialize. The combination of a mediocre record, lack of team identity, and a five-game losing streak ultimately led to a new direction.
