Dec 27, 2024, 08:50 PM ET
Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone didn’t hold back in his reaction to the news of Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown’s firing, ripping the team and owner Vivek Ranadive for exhibiting “no class.”
The Kings, off to a 13-18 start this season and mired in 12th place in the Western Conference, announced the firing Friday, calling it a “difficult decision.”
Malone is no stranger to the Kings, whom he coached for two seasons. He was fired by Ranadive in December 2014, and Brown was the sixth coach to hold that job in the decade since Malone’s departure.
Malone said Brown’s firing didn’t surprise him because of “who he works for.”
“I’m not surprised that Mike Brown got fired, because I got fired by the same person,” Malone said. “And what really pissed me off about it was the fact that they lost [Thursday] night, fifth game in a row, I believe. Tough loss. … They had practiced this morning. He does his postgame media, and he’s in his car going to the airport to fly to L.A. and they call him on the phone.
“No class, no balls. That’s what I’ll say about that.”
Malone was among several NBA coaches who reacted with dismay over Brown’s firing.
Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle addressed it to open his pregame media session before his team visited Boston on Friday night. He called the firing “shocking to me and I’m sure all the people in our profession.”
“I had the privilege of working with Mike when I was in Indiana coaching the first time,” said Carlisle, who also is longtime president of the National Basketball Coaches Association. “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.”
Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said coaches understand the job is often thankless and that when a team underachieves there’s a risk of being fired. He said it’s not his place to discuss another team’s decision-making but made clear what he thinks of Brown as a coach and a person.
“He compiled a record of 107-88 while he was there,” Mosley said. “He changed a bit of that culture in what he was doing. And I say these things not as a fellow coach. I say this as a close friend. He’s been a mentor of mine. And I know how good he is, and I know how he cares, and I know how he’s helped pave the way for so many of us that are in this game right now.”
Brown was the unanimous winner of the NBA Coach of the Year award in 2022-23, after his first season in Sacramento saw the Kings make the playoffs for the first time since 2006. All 100 voters from a panel of reporters and broadcasters had Brown atop their ballot that year.
Less than two years later, he is gone.
“You hate to see it,” said New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, who, like Brown, is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year. “You know, it’s part of what we go through. Mike’s a terrific person and a great coach. It’s unfortunate.”
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he understood the Kings were struggling of late but still expressed disappointment that Brown — his former assistant and a longtime close friend — was let go.
“We all kind of know, this is the nature of the business,” Kerr said. “It just seems so shocking when a guy’s the unanimous Coach of the Year a year and a half ago, and when you think about where that franchise was before Mike got there … really shocking.”
Brown’s dismissal is the ninth head-coaching change in the NBA in 2024 alone — and the 300th in the NBA since Gregg Popovich, the league’s longest-tenured current coach, took the San Antonio Spurs job in 1996. Popovich is currently away from the Spurs while recovering from a stroke.
Brown has had four jobs in that span — he was head coach in Cleveland, then of the Los Angeles Lakers, then returned to Cleveland, and until Friday had the job in Sacramento.
“He’ll certainly land on his feet,” Carlisle said. “But if you look at the job that he did and the turnaround that he had, it’s just really hard to believe that this decision was made. But teams have the right to do things like this, obviously. It’s their decision. But Mike’s a great man and a great basketball man. Really one of the pillars of our profession. Anyway. Onward.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
In a post-game press conference, Malone criticized the Kings for their handling of Gentry’s firing, stating that the organization showed “no class” in how they went about making the change. Malone expressed his disappointment in the Kings’ decision, emphasizing the need for teams to show respect and dignity when parting ways with coaching staff.
Malone’s comments come at a time when the NBA coaching carousel is in full swing, with several teams making coaching changes in the middle of the season. The Nuggets coach’s remarks shed light on the behind-the-scenes politics and tensions that can arise in the high-stakes world of professional basketball.
As the NBA continues to evolve and teams look for ways to stay competitive, Malone’s words serve as a reminder of the importance of professionalism and respect in the industry. It remains to be seen how the Kings will respond to Malone’s criticism, but one thing is clear – the world of professional sports is never short on drama.
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