The New York Knicks have formally named Mike Brown as their new head coach.
A two-time NBA Coach of the Year, Brown replaces Tom Thibodeau, who was fired from the position in June, even as the Knicks reached the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years.
“After a thorough and extensive search process, we are pleased to announce Mike Brown as the head coach of the New York Knicks,” said Knicks President Leon Rose in a statement on Monday (7 July).
“Mike has coached on the biggest stages in our sport and brings championship pedigree to our organisation. 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.”
The Knicks’ head coach role is Brown’s third after he parted ways with the Sacramento Kings, where he spent three years as head coach.
During his time in California, the 55-year-old led the Kings to their first playoff run in 16 seasons, ending the longest postseason drought in NBA history and earning him his second NBA Coach of the Year prize. However, he was dismissed last December after a 13-18 start to the regular season.
Currently 454-304 in his career, Brown previously oversaw the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers. It was with the former team that he was honoured with his first coaching award after he led the franchise to the NBA Finals in 2007.
He also has won four NBA Championships as an assistant coach, clinching three with the Golden State Warriors under Steve Kerr and one with the San Antonio Spurs alongside Gregg Popovich.
On the international stage, he served as head coach of the Nigerian national team from 2020 to 2022, where they finished 10th at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 in 2021.