Mike Brown had a lot to say just moments before he was fired by the Sacramento Kings.
On Friday, the Kings fired Brown 31 games into his third season as the team’s head coach. The Kings received a lot of negative backlash for how the team handled the coach’s firing.
Sacramento’s higher-ups reportedly informed Brown of the decision just before the team’s flight to Los Angeles to face the Lakers.
Brown had conducted a full practice session and had even spoken to the media about overcoming adversity just before he was given the boot.
Brown’s final words to the media resonated with fans on social media even more once news of his firing went public.
“When you go through adverse times, you know who’s truly there for you,” Brown told reporters. “Because people will jump off the bandwagon quick. The support, wherever it may come from, may not always be there. But that’s part of what I’ve had to deal with, not just for myself, but holding everybody together.”
Mike Brown 5 minutes before getting fired:
“When you’re going through adversity, you know who’s truly there for you.” 😭 pic.twitter.com/tVfiZTKMhG
— BricksCenter (@BricksCenter) December 27, 2024
The Kings hired Brown in 2022 after his successful run as a top assistant on the Golden State Warriors’ coaching staff. In his first year, Brown led Sacramento to a 48-34 record and its first postseason appearance in 17 seasons.
The Kings finished with a respectable 46-36 record last season but failed to advance past the play-in round. The team had lost 12 of its last 17 games before Brown’s firing.
Fans weren’t the only ones upset about the way Sacramento handled Brown’s firing. One NBA champion coach put the Kings on blast after news of Brown’s exit went public.
