Sources: Mike Brown relieved of coaching duties, Doug Christie named interim head coach

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The murmurs started Sunday afternoon when the Kings let go of the rope against Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers for a fourth straight loss to open the homestand. Everything quieted down over the Christmas holiday, but when Sacramento finished the homestand 0-5 with a brutal 114-113 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night, it was only a matter of time before someone lost their job.

According to a league source, the Kings relieved Mike Brown of his coaching duties shortly after the team wrapped up practice on Friday afternoon. Brown had just finished coaching practice, spoke to the media and was set to join the squad on a flight to Los Angeles where the squad faces the Lakers on Saturday evening. ESPN’s Shams Charania was first with the news.

Brown, who signed a three-year, $25.5 million extension back on June 1, finishes his two-plus year run with Sacramento with an NBA Coach of the Year award and a 107-88 regular season record with the Kings. His .549 win percentage ranks second only to Rick Adelman during the Sacramento era (1985-present) and his 107 wins rank third behind Adelman’s 395 wins from 1998-2006, and Gary St. Jean’s 159 victories, over five seasons from 1992-97. 

In addition to the regular season wins, Brown is the coach who snapped the franchise’s 16-year playoff drought during the 2022-23 season when the Kings took the Golden State Warriors to seven games before falling. 

Following Brown’s ousting, Doug Christie was named as the interim head coach according to a league source. The former Kings player and broadcaster spent the last three-plus seasons as an assistant, both for Brown and Luke Walton. Christie’s ties to the community and franchise run deep. 

Christie draws a tough task if he hopes to turn the season around. The Kings have lost five straight and now sit at No. 12 in the Western Conference standings at 13-18. Despite pulling in big crowds all season at Golden 1 Center, the franchise now sits at 6-12 on their home floor and look lost after a series of bad losses. 

The tension has been building all season long. It began after the 0-2 start to the year. It continued to grow as the team seemed to take steps forward and then face planted on multiple occasions. 

Following the loss to the Pistons, Brown held an extremely honest post game press conference in which he called out star guard De’Aaron Fox directly for his late game execution. 

“I have to go back to the film to see exactly where Fox was, but there was no reason for there to be a hard close out,” Brown told the media. ”We were okay for them scoring a two at the rim. You should not be in position to help at all. You should be hugged up to your man at the three point line. Everybody should. And why there was a closeout by Fox? I’m not sure.”

The result of the play Brown is speaking on was a backbreaking three-pointer with the Kings leading 113-110. To add insult to injury, Fox clearly fouled Ivey on the closeout, which led to a free throw and a 114-113 loss.

Following the game, Fox was asked about the final play and his response was telling.  

“It doesn’t really matter, it’s not going to make anybody feel better,” Fox said when asked about the final play.

During Friday’s post practice shooting drills, Brown approached Fox and the two had a conversation on the court that lasted a minute or more, before Brown eventually came over for a media scrum. 

Brown’s postgame conversation with the media may have had little to do with the overall outcome of his employment, but it added another layer to the growing frustration around the 13-18 start. 

Expectations were high coming into the year and the team has underperformed dramatically. At the NBA level, the coach is usually the first to get blamed, despite the 48 and 46-win seasons Brown posted in successive years.

Where do the Kings go from here?

This was the big red button that no one wanted to push. Brown came to Sacramento with a .612 career win percentage as an NBA head coach and he had just won three championship rings with the Golden State Warriors as one of Steve Kerr’s lead assistants. 

He turned the franchise around in his first season, posting 18 more wins than the previous year. The Kings looked like a team on the rise. That seems like such a long time ago.

If the Kings turn the season around, then Christie will likely get a shot to state his case to remain the head coach. If the season spins out of control, like it has multiple times in Sacramento when a head coach is fired mid-season, then the franchise will once again be looking for a long-term solution this summer. Who makes that decision could also be in doubt.

General manager Monte McNair and his right hand man, Wes Wilcox, still have a lot of work to do with the roster if the team hopes to compete in the Western Conference. The pair have been together since the 2020-21 season in Sacramento and the team has posted a 168-181 record over that stretch.

The franchise was already facing a complicated summer with Fox entering the final year of his contract next year. The 27-year-old point guard has turned down extensions with the Kings in each of the last two summers and a little over a week ago, he went on Draymond Green’s podcast to discuss the matter.

“For me man, it has all to do with just, the team, the organization, where are we going,” Fox told Green. “I want to make sure that we’re in a position to try to win in the future, because that’s ultimately what I want to do.”

Winning matters, not only to Fox, but to everyone involved. At 13-18, the Kings are once again in the midst of organizational dysfunction and it could not have come at a worse time. A serious discussion will likely be had in the coming months as to whether McNair and Wilcox will be the ones making some of the difficult decisions ahead, whether it be on the coaching front, with Fox or with the rest of the roster. 

Owner Vivek Ranadivé has his work cut out for him as the franchise is once again in a dark place facing an uphill battle for relevancy.

What is the reaction around the league?

Within hours of Brown being relieved of his duties in Sacramento, three NBA coaches have come to his defense. First, former Kings assistant and current head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, Jordi Fernandez spoke on the matter during his pregame media session.

Former Kings head coach Michael Malone also chimed in. Malone was unceremoniously fired by the Kings organization after an 11-13 start to the 2014-15 season. Oddly enough, Malone’s dismissal also came after a December loss to the Pistons. 

Lastly, Kerr discussed Brown’s firing before the Warriors took the floor tonight. 

More on Brown

The NBA is a tough business. Mike Brown went from the savior of the Kings to out as head coach in the span of a little over a year. During that time, he was engaging, honest, funny and the Kings won more than they lost.

This is part of being an NBA coach, especially in Sacramento. Your livelihood is wrapped up into your ability to create a culture, the play on the court and the personal relationships behind the scenes. 

Despite the tough start to the 2024-25 season, Brown was more successful than any other head coach during the 15 years I have covered the team. He is extremely personable and his presence will be missed.

Here are a few more links, including Brown’s final media scrums in Sacramento, as well as my appearance on NBATV talking about his departure and what Christie brings to the table.