“ No class, no balls »: it is in these terms that Michael Malone reacted to the (surprise) dismissal of Mike Brown among the Kings.
It must be said that the Nuggets coach is rather familiar with the methods of the Californian franchise, having also been fired by it ten years ago, after a season and a half.
“ I wasn't surprised by his dismissal, because I was fired by the same person » he recalledin reference to Vivek Ranadive, the owner of Sacramento. “ What really pisses me off is that they lost a fifth game in a row, a difficult defeat to swallow, that they trained in the morning, that he responded to the press and that he was in his car going to the airport to fly to Los Angeles, when they called him to send him back. »
From Coach of the Year to fired in one year…
Michael Malone, assistant to Mike Brown in Cleveland in the late 2000s, was not the only coach to be surprised by the dismissal of the 2023 Coach of the Year, fired barely a year and a half later by the Kings, while he ended a record drought period in Sacramento by making the playoffs after 17 years of waiting.
Kings certainly in difficulty (13-18), but not in a worrying state compared to other years. Even if the fact of playing in the ruthless Western Conference (12th place) must also have weighed in…
“ He recorded a record of 107 wins and 88 losses during his time there » indicated Jamahl Mosleycoach of the Magic. “ He changed the existing culture a little thanks to his work. And I say this because he is a close friend, not just a colleague. He's been a mentor to me and I know how good he is, how meticulous he is and how much he helped pave the way for many of us today in this league. »
“ We always hate to see that… » added Tom ThibodeauKnicks coach twice named Coach of the Year, like Mike Brown. “ But it's part of our job. He is an incredible person and a great coach. It's unfortunate. »
“Shocked” colleagues
As is often the case, the job of coach is thankless since they are the first fuses to blow when things go wrong. No matter his accomplishments and no matter his little influence in building a squad. To the great dismay of Rick Carlislethe president of the coaches union.
“ I had the privilege of working with Mike when I first coached at Indiana » first remembered the Pacers technician. “ I see him as one of the standard bearers of integrity for our profession and I am absolutely shocked by this decision. »
And to continue: “ He'll definitely land on his feet, but if you look at all the work he's done and the turnaround he's made, it's really hard to believe this decision was made. But the teams have the right to do it, it's their choice. Mike is a great guy and a super basketball geek. He is one of the pillars of our profession. »
