Report: Kings’ Decision To Fire Mike Brown Came From GM Monte McNair, Not Ownership

December 28, 2024

The decision to fire coach Mike Brown came from Kings GM Monte McNair and not team owner Vivek Ranadive, per NBA insiders Sam Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

Brown was fired two seasons after leading the Kings to the Pacific Division title and their first playoff appearance in 2006. But as some have said, Brown became the victim of his own success and expectations, as the Kings have struggled mightily at the start of this year.

“This was a difficult decision and I want to thank Mike for his many contributions to the organization,” McNair said in a news release.

The Kings named former Sacramento guard Doug Christie interim coach. Christie is expected to get the rest of the season, with the team conducting no search for a replacement.

“It’s been a turbulent couple of seasons for the Kings,” Amick and Slater wrote. “They outplayed expectations in Brown’s first year, winning 48 games and slipping into the third seed to break a 16-year playoff drought. He became the first unanimous Coach of the Year in NBA history and had what felt like a near 100-percent local approval rating.

“But Brown and the Kings became victims of their own success. Expectations rocketed. They still won 46 games his second season, but the Western Conference strengthened around them, rendering them the ninth seed and an eventual Play-In loser. Their offense slipped from first to 13th — a fact Ranadive obsessed over, team sources said — while their defense improved from 24th to 14th, the side of the ball that Brown felt needed strengthening for legitimate playoff success.”