Report: Kings firing Brown was GM McNair’s decision originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
After working out a full practice and speaking to the media for nearly 17 minutes on Friday, Mike Brown received a phone call from Kings general manager Monte McNair, informing him that I was being fired.
He the timing was not ideal. Brown was preparing to board the plane to Los Angeles on which several players and staff were already present.
But the organization maintains that there was no specific purpose or malice in the timing or execution of his release. The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Anthony Slater reported Saturday, citing team sources. Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé had the final say and ultimately gave the green light to pull the plug after Friday’s practice. But the decision to fire Brown was McNair’s, Amick and Slater reported, citing team sources.
“This was a difficult decision and I want to thank Mike for his many contributions to the organization,” McNair said Friday in a news release.
Ranadivé has had a front-row seat to the madness that resulted in a pathetic 0-5 homestand that capped the Kings’ 12th loss in 17 games. Sitting courtside at the Golden 1 Center, he has become noticeably upset and frustrated with the team’s performance. Still, team sources insisted to Amick and Slater that the decision originally came from McNair.
Additionally, the organization is choosing to back McNair’s front office and assistant general manager Wes Wilcox, Amick and Slater added, who are still considered “safe” despite all of Sacramento’s struggles. The Kings’ depth (or lack thereof) created a lot of difficult rotation issues for Brown. It’s a weakness the front office acknowledged and still hopes to fix before the upcoming Feb. 6 trade deadline.
So they felt comfortable parting ways with their head coach knowing they had to make personnel moves.
And apparently, Thursday’s loss to the Detroit Pistons was the final straw. A defensive blunder by De’Aaron Fox gave the Pistons a one-point lead that sealed their unimaginable victory. After the loss, Brown didn’t hold back in his criticism of Fox and the rest of the guys.
But that was no different than how Brown handled other journalists: holding the players accountable and not mincing words.
Still, Brown’s press conference comments were “starting to wear on some players,” Amick and Slater reported, citing team sources, and were part of the decision to part ways with Brown.
While the criticism from Brown’s press conference was aimed directly at Fox on Thursday, Fox’s wife, Recee, emphasized on social media that Fox had no say in the firing.
Now, Doug Christie will serve as interim head coach and the eighth under Ranadivé’s ownership.
The former Kings guard and current assistant coach met with Kings brass and accepted their offer of a promotion to replace Brown on an interim basis, bypassing top assistant and former Toronto Raptors head coach Jay Triano .
There’s a lot to figure out going forward, and it all starts Saturday night in Los Angeles against the Lakers.