The Knicks’ new coach arrives with a long history in the business, a career of highs and lows and metric tons of pressure to win immediately.
Mike Brown is expected to replace Tom Thibodeau on the sideline, ending a month-long search with more plot twists than a season of “Breaking Bad.”
As a 55-year-old and a four-time-fired head coach, Brown represents neither the most obvious nor most exciting choice.
If the Knicks struggle, heat will fall quickly on the front office. But Brown is also a safe pick with over 750 regular-season games, a 60% winning percentage and two Coach of the Year awards.
More than anything, he brings experience to almost every NBA circumstance.
Brown worked with most of the all-time greats of a generation, serving as either the head coach or assistant to rosters with Tim Duncan, Steph Curry, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant.
He grew from the Popovich tree in San Antonio, winning titles as an assistant with the Spurs and then under Steve Kerr in Golden State
As a head coach, Brown was less successful in the playoffs.
His only Finals appearance was nearly 20 years ago with the Cavs, when LeBron James carried a group of ragtags into an overmatched 2007 series against the Spurs.
He flamed out quickly in subsequent stops, notably lasting only 71 games with the Lakers as Phil Jackson’s replacement.
More recently, Brown guided the Kings to their first playoffs in 18 years. He cultivated a high-octane offense behind De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, demonstrating his versatility after being labeled defensive-minded earlier in his career.
But Brown was fired less than two years later — the fourth time he was canned as a head coach.
The Knicks’ gig brings opportunity for legendary status. The franchise is enduring a drought of over 50 years without a title but enters next season with legitimate Finals aspirations.
With Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton recovering from Achilles surgeries, an argument could be made that the Knicks are early favorites to emerge from the East.
Last season, they surpassed expectations by beating the Celtics and advancing to their first conference finals in 25 years. Jalen Brunson continued his ascension to superstardom.
But the front office and ownership still canned Thibodeau, a shocking move considering his success and his three-year extension approaching $40 million that hadn’t even started yet.
In a new coach, the Knicks are prioritizing some of the issues that led to Thibodeau’s dismissal – they are emphasizing player development, expanding the rotation, empowering the staff, collaborating with the front office and assigning roles to assistants like defensive and offensive coordinators.
Thibodeau didn’t embrace those instructions but did plenty of winning. He finished fourth on the franchise’s all-time list with 226 wins, behind only Red Holzman, Joe Lapchick and Jeff Van Gundy.
His five seasons at the helm were the most since Van Gundy.
His four playoff series victories were more than the 12 previous Knicks coaches combined.
So Brown, who hasn’t won a playoff series as a head coach since 2012, is filling big shoes.
And through no fault of his own, Brown’s hiring feels like a consolation prize.
The Knicks started their search with rejected attempts to attract head coaches under contract, with denials from the teams employing Jason Kidd, Ime Udoka, Chris Finch, Billy Donovan and Quin Snyder.
They then redirected the search toward Brown and Taylor Jenkins, who, according to sources, fell behind after projecting less enthusiasm for the job.
Brown, in some ways, became the fallback option.
And it won’t matter if the Knicks live up to their lofty expectations.
