The Sacramento Kings’ firing of Mike Brown on Friday left a bad taste in the mouths of some NBA coaches, and they’ve brought it up a lot over the past few days.
The Kings traded Brown for Doug Christie. Sacramento fell to 13-18 on Thursday, which led to the decision to fire Brown. However, it was the way the coach was fired that did not sit well with others.
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Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown shouts instructions to 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 over the 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 to speak.
Malone had special names.
“I’m not surprised that Mike Brown got fired, because I got fired by the same guy,” Malone said after the Nuggets’ loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, per ESPN. “And what really relieved me was the fact that they were lost [Thursday] tonight, the fifth game in a row, I believe. A heavy loss. . . . They had practiced in the morning. He was doing his postgame media, he was in his car heading to the airport to fly to LA and they called him on the phone.
“No class, no balls. That’s what I’ll say about that.”
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Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone watches during 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 shooting.
“Mike is a great friend, a great coach. I talked to him, and we all know this is the type of business,” Kerr said, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “But it seems more shocking when the guy who was the coach of the year was not agreed, a year and a half ago.”
Bickerstaff echoed Malone’s comments, calling the firing “classless.”
“You deserve better than that, you can make whatever decision you want to make, we understand that,” he added, via The Athletic. “But the way you treat people is important, and it’s very disappointing to see a coach, a guy you care about, a guy you know how good and talented he is, being treated like that, you know, and it’s disappointing. People wouldn’t have the thought to treat people like people and show them the respect they deserve, knowing the dedication that goes into coaches in their families, their lives, everything, you know, Mike did for that team and that organization.
“You know, I just thought s—-y, 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, Calif., Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Randall Benton)
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Brown was in his third season with the Kings. He led them to the playoffs in his first year in 2022-23. He was 107-89 as a head coach.
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