Mike Brown reflected on his time with Kings. How did Sacramento fans greet him?
Mike Brown spent Tuesday and Wednesday answering variations of the same question about his departure from the Sacramento Kings.
How weird was it being back? What did it mean to you to end the playoff drought? What did you learn from your time in Sacramento?
To Brown’s credit, he took it all in stride during his three media sessions at Knicks practice, before Wednesday’s game and afterward. He might still be adjusting to life as head coach of the New York Knicks, but he’s not new to the spotlight or public relations. He coached Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers; LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers; and had to fill in for Steve Kerr in the playoffs while the Warriors were in the middle of their dynasty before eventually landing in Sacramento.
There were some question as to the response Brown would receive when he was announced as the Knicks before his team’s 112-101 loss. His two-plus seasons coaching the Kings included snapping the longest playoff drought in NBA history and ended unceremoniously when he was fired on his way to the airport to catch a flight with the team to Los Angeles in December 2024 while on a five-game losing streak.
The Golden 1 Center crowd welcomed Brown on Wednesday with a warm cheer, though the Kings didn’t honor Brown with a tribute video or any other formal mention. He was given the same treatment as any other visiting coach.
“I had a great time here,” Brown said. “The fans were fantastic. We enjoyed living here, so I appreciate (the ovation). A lot of love for the fans here. But in the same breath too, we’re happy as hell in New York.”
Brown also was greeted by Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé, the man who both signed off on his three-year, $30 million contract extension through 2027 — and then greenlit his firing five months later in favor of Doug Christie.
Ranadivé crossed the court from his courtside seat to offer Brown a warm handshake. The two embraced while Ranadivé shared some words that Brown seemed to appreciate.
“We were just saying hello,” Brown said, seemingly downplaying the interaction. “That’s all.”
Brown was asked if he was surprised Ranadivé initiated the interaction, while some media members posited it looked like an apology.
“You’d have to talk to him about that,” Brown said. “But it was a nice gesture and we just said hello. It was a simple exchange. That’s all.”
Brown has become a sympathetic figure to many Kings fans. His firing was the first domino in the dismantling of the “Beam Team” that led to the team trading De’Aaron Fox for Zach LaVine. And though the Kings are riding a three-game winning streak after beating the Knicks, they’re still mired in a miserable 11-30 season, while many believe they’re in the earliest stages of a roster-wide rebuilding project — and that the roster could look dramatically different around the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
But Brown’s presence on the sideline in Golden 1 Center for the first time since his dismissal became largely an afterthought as the Kings improved to a 3-0 start in their seven-game home stand.
Former Knick breaks through for Kings
There was revenge to be had on Wednesday, but it didn’t come from Brown or his team. Unexpectedly, it was former Knick Precious Achiuwa who dominated his former club with a season-high 20 points, 14 rebounds, two blocks and two steals. And New York lost star guard Jalen Brunson to an ankle injury in the first quarter when Sacramento opened up a 15-point lead.
“He had a big game — he impacted the game in a lot of ways,” Brown said of Achiuwa, whom he coached on the Nigerian National Team during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Achiuwa signed with the Kings on a one-year minimum contract Nov. 4, remaining a free agent through the summer and not joining the team until seven game into the season.
“Precious is showing himself to be a swiss-army knife on the defensive end,” Christie said.
‘Bit extra in my step’
LaVine, who scored a game-high 25 points, scored his most since his 42-point performance from Dec. 6 in a road win over the Miami Heat. He noticed that there was a little more juice from his team and Christie going against Brown.
“We understand it as players,” LaVine said. “You want to make sure you win certain game, you have them circled. I’m not speaking for (Christie), but if it was me, that’s how I would feel. I had a little bit extra in my step when I played Chicago. I love them to death, but that’s just how I felt.”
Brown said it was his team’s worst game of the season. The Knicks shot just 39%, their fourth-lowest mark of the season, and a season-worst 20% from 3.
Brown will get another chance at the Kings when they play Jan. 27 at Madison Square Garden.
This story was originally published January 14, 2026 at 11:31 PM.
