Sacramento Kings' Mike Brown Wins 2023 NBA Coach of the Year Award
Sacramento Kings' Mike Brown was named the 2023 NBA Coach of the Year. The Sacramento Kings announced the hiring of Brown as their new head coach back in May, expecting him to finally end the team's 17-year playoff drought.
Now, Yahoo! Sports reported that the head coach had become the 2023 NBA Coach of the Year.
It was the first unanimous win for the award in NBA history, with 100 media members choosing Brown over Joe Mazzulla of the Boston Celtics and Mark Daigneault of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
For six years, Brown, 53, lived an hour and a half away from where his current team played. At the time, he worked as an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors under head coach Steve Kerr.
Brown had four NBA championship rings and head coaching experience from the period leading the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers.
This award marks his second time as Coach of the Year. The first was in 2009 after leading the Cavaliers to a 66-16 league record and the Eastern Conference finals.
READ NEXT: Draymond Green Steps on Domantas Sabonis' Chest, Gets 1-Game Ban
Sacramento Kings Coach Mike Brown Career
After holding the same position with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers, Mike Brown became the head coach of the Sacramento Kings in 2022-23, according to Bleacher Report.
Before moving to Sacramento, he was the Golden State Warriors associate head coach for six years.
The Kings were one of the strongest teams in the Western Conference in the 2022-23 season, ending with a 48-34 record and the No. 3 seed in the playoffs. Thanks to the efforts of players like De'Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, and Keegan Murray.
They also had the most significant offense in the NBA towards the end of the season after being ranked 16th in the league in 2021-22. The Sacramento Kings now hold a 2-0 lead against the Golden State Warriors in their opening-round playoff series.
With a final score of 126-123, the Kings defeated the Dubs in Game 1 of the playoffs for the first time in 17 years. Since the 2005-06 season, the Kings have yet to have a winning record or qualify for the playoffs.
Brown will be the Kings' leader for the foreseeable future, and the club should improve as younger players like Fox and Murray gain more playing time.
Mike Brown's Victory Is Sacramento Kings' Third Major Even in Three Days
Mike Brown's victory was the Sacramento Kings' third big event in three days, according to NBA.com.
They won Game 2 against the Warriors on Monday, giving them a commanding 2-0 series lead in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs.
De'Aaron Fox was named the first-ever NBA clutch player of the year on Tuesday, while the Coach of the Year award was presented on Wednesday.
On Thursday, the Kings will try to take a 3-0 lead over the defending champion Warriors.
Brown joins three-time winners Pat Riley, Gregg Popovich, and Don Nelson, as well as fellow two-time winners Gene Shue, Bill Fitch, Hubie Brown, Cotton Fitzsimmons, Mike D'Antoni, Tom Thibodeau, and Mike Budenholzer as the 11th individual to win the NBA Coach of the Year award more than once.
READ MORE: Giannis Antetokounmpo Pulled Out of Bucks vs. Heat Game Due to Injury
This is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Bert Hoover
WATCH: Mike Brown Wins NBA Coach of the Year After Kings Go 2-0 in Playoffs - From ABC10