The New York Knicks have won game five and with it their first NBA Championship in 53 years. Head coach Mike Brown deserves a lot of the credit as he led this team to the promised land, finally putting his unceremonious firing from the Sacramento Kings behind him and redefining his legacy.
Brown is no stranger to championship gold. As an assistant coach under Gregg Popovich, he was part of the San Antonio Spurs when they won a title in 2003. More recently, he was an assistant coach under Steve Kerr for the Golden State Warriors' titles in 2017, 2018, and 2022.
But this championship is different. While being the bench boss for the Knicks isn't Brown's first run as a head coach, it is his first title as a head coach. And it's a big one because the championship drought for the Knicks has been so incredibly long. Without Brown, they wouldn't have gotten here.
Previous head coach Tom Thibodeau was great, but he had a tendency to run his starters ragged all season and throughout the playoffs. They had no gas left in the tank for a deep run. Brown changed how the team operates, putting more emphasis on the bench and giving his starters room to breath.
This changes how Brown's career will be remembered
Prior to New York, Brown was the head coach for the Kings. In his first season with the team, he coached them to their first playoff appearance since Rick Adelman left in 2006. For the Kings, this was the equivalent of the Knicks winning their first championship since 1973.
Brown received his second NBA Coach of the Year award in 2023 for his efforts. As a thank you for his efforts, the Kings fired him only a handful of games into the 2024-2025 season. It's worth noting that the Lakers also fired him once, and the Cavaliers did it twice, so he's no stranger to shifting winds.
Winning his first championship as a head coach has to be incredibly validating to Brown. The Lakers, the Cavs, and, most recently, the Kings didn't believe he had what it took to get them there. Instead, he proved them wrong, even sweeping the Cavs in four on his way to the NBA Championship.
Sacramento missed the boat with Brown, something that has become increasingly evident over the 2025-2026 season. For Brown, this victory is the final nail in the coffin of his time in Sactown. Instead of being the coach who got fired by the Kings, he's now the coach who led the Knicks to victory.
