Sacramento Kings have parted ways with head coach Mike Brown following a five-losing streak that leaves them 12th in the Western Conference standings, Afrosport reports.
Brown, who is in his third-year with the Kings, was voted Coach of the Year in the 2022-23 season and helped the Kings to a playoff berth, their first in 17 years. The 56-year-old recently signed a three-year $30-million extension that would’ve kept him in Sacramento through the 2026-27 season.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Brown was sacked via phone call on Friday while on his way to the team plane for a trip to Los Angeles, where the Kings will take on the Lakers on Saturday.
Just In: The Sacramento Kings are parting ways with head coach Mike Brown, sources told ESPN. pic.twitter.com/mNdn5EOv4U
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 27, 2024
The Kings currently have a 13-18 win-loss record and have lost their last five games – with all coming at home. They have also suffered an NBA-high nine defeats this season after leading in the fourth quarter, including Thursday’s 112-113 loss to the Detroit Pistons, when they fumbled a 10-point lead with less than three minutes to play.
Mike Brown departs Sacramento with a 107-88 record in about two-and-a-half seasons in charge, having finished with a winning record in both of his full seasons. The former Cleveland Cavaliers and Lakers coach has a 455-304 record in the NBA and has made the playoffs in seven of his nine full seasons.
Sacramento will be led in an interim capacity by assistant Doug Christie, who has been on the Kings coaching staff since the 2021-22 season and played five seasons for the franchise.
Christie will take charge of his first game on Saturday when they take on the 17-13 Lakers at the Crypto.com Arena.