Mike Brown has ‘touching’ moment with Warriors fans in Kings’ win at California Classic
Kings head coach Mike Brown enjoyed a special moment with Golden State Warriors fans Saturday when he sat down to watch his new team play his old team at Chase Center in San Francisco.
Brown received a warm welcome as he made his way to a courtside seat during the first quarter of the Kings’ 86-68 win over the Warriors on the first day of the California Classic. Brown got a bigger ovation later in the first half when he was introduced on the giant videoboard inside the arena.
“It was really touching, but it was tough from the standpoint that I wish I could give them that same applause,” Brown told The Sacramento Bee as he made his way toward the visitor’s locker room. “As much as the fans seem like they appreciate my time here, I couldn’t ask for anything more and I can’t thank them enough.”
Brown spent six seasons with the Warriors as Steve Kerr’s top assistant. He helped Golden State win three championships, one in 2017, another in 2018 and another just last month, when the Warriors beat the Boston Celtics in six games in the NBA Finals.
The Kings hired Brown as their new head coach on May 9 while the Warriors were in the early stages of their playoff run. He wasn’t formally introduced in Sacramento until a day after Golden State’s championship parade.
Brown is excited about the new opportunity in Sacramento, but he will always treasure his time with Kerr, Warriors general manager Bob Myers and the players he coached, including Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
“The first thing is, my time here, obviously, was fantastic, starting with ownership to Bob to Steve and all the players, I couldn’t ask for anything better,” Brown said. “But the fans, too, the fans, they were great. Whether it was here in the arena or me walking around town or riding my little scooter around town, everybody’s always been fantastic. So, it’s a little surreal walking in here and walking into this locker room instead of the other locker room, but at the end of the day, I’m excited and I’m looking forward to all the energy up in Sacramento.”
This story was originally published July 2, 2022 at 10:32 PM.
