New York’s search continued with available former head coaches, including Brown, in the ensuing weeks. Brown last coached the Sacramento Kings before the team fired him in December 2024 amid a 13–18 record, and the Kings notably finished 46–36 overall and went 33–18 after Brown’s firing.
Despite the setback, Brown, 55, brings championship pedigree to the table amid his 454–304 regular season record and 50–40 playoff mark. A two-time NBA Coach of the Year, Brown has had vast success, and he won four championships as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs in 2003 and the Golden State Warriors in 2017, 2018, and 2022.
Brown also led the Cleveland Cavaliers with LeBron James to the 2007 NBA Finals, and Brown won his first Coach of the Year honors with the franchise two years later. He then led the Kings back to the playoffs for the first time in 16 years during the 2022-2023 season, and Brown won Coach of the Year honors again for that feat. Brown notably got the most out of former Kings star guard De’Aaron Fox and current Kings star forward Domantas Sabonis during his time there.
Similar to Thibodeau, Brown is known for defense, but Brown has worked under a variety of successful current and former NBA head coaches, too. That notably includes Warriors head coach Steve Kerr between 2016 and 2022, and former Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich between 2000 and 2003.
Brown’s head coaching stops include the Cavaliers twice from 2005–2010 and 2013–2014, the Los Angeles Lakers from 2011–2012, and the Kings from 2022–2025.
Besides James, Brown has worked with the following stars as a head coach: Dwight Howard, Kyrie Irving, Pau Gasol, and the late Kobe Bryant. Star players whom Brown has worked with as an assistant include: Andre Iguodala, David Robinson, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Manu Ginobili, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Tim Duncan, and Tony Parker.
Once Brown’s hire becomes official, he takes on a proven core of stars in New York with Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, Mitchell Robinson, Miles McBride, Mikal Bridges, and OG Anunoby. The Knicks also added veteran reserves Guerschon Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson for offensive depth. Brown also gets to work with a young crew of players to develop in Ariel Hukporti, Kevin McCullar Jr., and Tyler Kolek.
One of Brown’s biggest tests will be how he will allot minutes compared to Thibodeau, who was known to overwork starters. Last season, Knicks starters averaged 36.32 minutes per game.
In addition, Brown will be called upon to help the Knicks improve scoring after averaging just 115.8 points per game last season for ninth in the league. During Thibodeau’s tenure, the Knicks never averaged more than 116 points per game in five seasons.
Brown will tip off a new era of Knicks basketball where the expectations are only higher than when Thibodeau arrived in 2020 amid seven-straight losing seasons and a seven-year playoff drought. New York now has three-straight winning seasons playoff appearances, and that includes the Knicks’ first trip to the conference finals since 2000.
In addition, the Knicks play in a wide-open Eastern Conference amid other teams’ injuries and offseason moves in recent months. That helps open the door for the Knicks to make a run for the franchise’s first NBA Finals appearance in 26 years and first NBA championship in 52 years.
