The New York Knicks are going to the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years, and coincidentally, they will face the same team that took them down back then, the San Antonio Spurs. While there is undoubtedly history for the Knicks heading into this series, there are also some past ties for head coach Mike Brown.
In the NBA Finals, Mike Brown will be facing two familiar entities – the Spurs, with whom he spent three seasons as an assistant coach early in his coaching career (2000-2003), and De’Aaron Fox, his former star player with the Sacramento Kings.
These familiar ties would typically garner some feelings of nostalgia, sowing seeds of doubt in such a high-stakes situation. However, during his media availability, Mike Brown insisted that these past relationships would not affect his competitive drive and decision-making.
“They definitely want to beat me, and I want to kick their a–. I love them, and you can always love them before and after,” Brown stated. “In Cleveland, Juwan Williams, very close to him; I coached him, and he worked with me. Also, Mike Gerrity, he is on the front of the bench.”
Brown summarized the story of how Mike Gerrity made it to the NBA as part of his assistant coaching staff on the Cleveland Cavaliers. Despite the familiarity he shared with Gerrity and the Cavaliers, Brown added:
“He and I were really close, and I wanted to kick his a–. So, I had ties to Cleveland. I had ties to San Antonio. You appreciate the people. You appreciate the journey and all that other stuff. But at the end of the day, just like they want to beat you, you definitely want to beat them.”
Mike Brown holds the organizations he has been a part of in high regard. Given the manner in which he and the Knicks dispatched the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, it is equally evident that Brown is aware of the task at hand. Still, it can be argued that the Spurs are different.
San Antonio is a storied franchise in its own right, and given that Gregg Popovich built the culture, the Spurs are a truly unique organization. To that note, Brown reiterated his respect for Popovich and the Spurs.
“He [Popovich] still has a huge presence. He always had a presence,” Brown shared. “The job that he’s done not only on the court with that team or that organization, but off the court, too, is going to be imprinted as long as the game of basketball exists.”
“His presence is very much felt all the time. I’ve got a lot of respect for the organization for a lot of different reasons,” he continued. “I’ve worked there. But obviously, when you have an opportunity to work for him and have an opportunity to win a championship or be part of a championship while there, and with my family being down there, too. Reminds me of good times.”
Mike Brown’s three-year tenure with the San Antonio Spurs was quite successful, primarily because the Spurs were consistently among the league’s top teams.
While winning the championship with the Spurs in 2003 was certainly a high point, working under Gregg Popovich proved immensely valuable once Brown took over as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2005-06 season.
Since then, Brown’s journey has seen him be a part of several different teams and work with many players. But despite his experience, his competitive drive has not waned.
Mike Brown’s statement highlights a very mature outlook toward these past relationships with organizations and players. Although these entities have played a major role in his journey, his commitment to winning with the team he’s currently a part of is certainly reassuring.
The Knicks are due to face off against the Spurs in San Antonio for Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday, June 3. With Mike Brown refusing to pull his punches, it will be intriguing to see how he fares against his former team.
