SAN FRANCISCO — Steve Kerr had a tough time believing who was — or slightly wasn’t — on the customer’s bench Sunday night time.
Per week and a half following the Kings’ choice to half methods with Mike Brown, the Warriors coach was nonetheless processing the choice. Brown, a member of Kerr’s workers from 2016-22 and the NBA’s coach of the yr in 2022-23, was fired on Dec. 27 amid a five-game skid that sank Sacramento to 13-18 to start out the season.
“I’m still in shock with the Kings coming here tonight. I’m shocked that he got fired,” mentioned Kerr, who was additionally outspoken instantly within the wake of the transfer. “The job he’s done the last couple years, where that team is, where that franchise is now, compared to when he came aboard. We all go through stretches. We just lost 12 of 15. Everybody in the league goes through stretches. Miami just lost by 35 at home to Utah. They’re not firing Erik Spoelstra.
“All of these issues that we face as organizations, it’s a group effort. We all share blame when things go wrong. I just had a really hard time understanding with what Mike has done there how that move was made. But it was made.”
When Brown was employed in 2022 after serving to the Warriors to the NBA championship, the Kings had missed the playoffs for 16 straight seasons and hadn’t posted a profitable file since 2006. In two-plus seasons, Brown compiled a 107-88 file and took Sacramento to the playoffs in each full seasons below his watch.
But it surely was Doug Christie on the head of the Kings’ bench Sunday. In 4 video games since he was named interim head coach, Sacramento had gone 3-1 getting into its matchup in opposition to Golden State.
Whereas Kerr mentioned the 2 have spoken, he declined to share the small print of their discussions.
“Obviously all of that remains private,” Kerr mentioned. “But Mike’s a great friend and a great coach.”
Initially Revealed: January 5, 2025 at 5:57 PM PST
