Mike Brown’s introductory press conference was nothing like those of previous Knicks head coaches over the last 20 years.
There were no cliched, empty promises for a franchise that had muddled through the NBA wilderness with no clear path out. Instead, team president Leon Rose made things bluntly obvious as to where he wants his Knicks to go under their newest head coach, who takes the reins from Tom Thibodeau roughly six weeks after he led the franchise to its first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 25 years.
It is a championship or bust.
“Mike has coached on the biggest stages in our sport and brings a championship pedigree to our organization,” Rose said. “His experience leading the bench during the NBA Finals, winning four titles as an assistant coach, and his ability to grow and develop players will all help us as we aim to bring a championship to New York for our fans.”
Brown’s resume speaks for itself. He has worked on NBA benches for 27 years, most recently guiding the Sacramento Kings to their first postseason berth in 17 years in 2023, where he was also voted NBA Coach of the Year.
It was the second time he won the award, doing so when he led LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals in 2007.
He boasts four championships as an assistant with Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors, along with Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs.
All the while, he has worked with some of the biggest stars, including James, Stephen Curry, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Kobe Bryant when he was head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
There is perennial pressure in Los Angeles to win a championship, but in New York, it is entirely different. This is the first time the Knicks’ title window has been open since the turn of the century, and they haven’t reached the NBA’s mountaintop since 1973.
“Nobody has any bigger expectations, first of all, than I do,” Brown said. “My expectations are high. But this is the Knicks. I talked about Madison Square Garden being iconic. You talk about our fans. I love and embrace the expectations that come along with it, so I’m looking forward to it.”
To meet those expectations, the right strings have to be pulled. It was something Thibodeau failed to do despite leading New York to long-forgotten heights, overworking his starting five to the point of burnout during the postseason.
But Brown, who is better known for his defensive mind, has usually employed high-octane, fast-paced offenses — a stark contrast to what the Knicks had deployed under Thibodeau.
“Offensively, a lot of people know… I like to play fast,” Brown said. “We’re going to try to play fast, make sure the floor is spaced the right way.”
The Knicks run through Jalen Brunson, and for now, have an All-Star No. 2 in big man Karl-Anthony Towns. The offensively inconsistent Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and center Mitchell Robinson provide plenty of defensive acumen, but opposing offenses keyed in on Brunson and Towns. Their defenses did, too.
Rose has already deepened Brown’s bench. He signed the offensively-affluent veteran guard, Jordan Clarkson, and the dynamic forward, Guerschon Yabusele, which allows more wiggle room to up the tempo, and to perhaps be some of the final pieces of a championship puzzle.
“The versatility that Leon keeps adding to this team is unbelievable,” Brown told MSG Network. “Jordan, the things that he can do, especially offensively, he’s a veteran guy. I know he’s hungry to win. He can score at all three levels. You’re excited about that coming to the table… And then Guerschon, an unbelievable young man. His size, his versatility, he can play the 4, the 5, maybe some 3, who knows?”
