Stephen A. Smith and former NBA player Metta World Peace have given their verdict to Mike Brown, the New York Knicks’ latest coaching rental.
Almost a month after firing Tom Thibodeau, the New York Knicks were finally able to appoint two-time Coach of the Year Mike Brown as a new recruit.
The team tried to interview several coaches, including Ime Udoka and Jason Kidd, but were denied permission from the team.
However, after finally going through that process, they decided to bring Brown in after giving their final talk with Knicks owner James Dolan.
ESPN analyst and known Knicks fan Stephen A. Smith wasn’t very happy with Thibodeau’s firing days after his defeat in the Eastern Conference Finals.
He also expressed disappointment at the Knicks’ handling of the coaching hunt.
Once that was announced, the Knicks had appointed Brown, so he called ESPN to share his thoughts on the appointment.
Smith said:
“He is a four-time champion as an assistant coach. He achieved those rings while working under the two great coaches the game saw at Gregg Popovich and Steve Kerr.
“Add to that, he was a two-time coach in Cleveland in 2009 and was in Sacramento a few years ago.
“He coached the NBA Finals team, which is what he did with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and when he combined it all, he scored 60% of the game and took the Sacramento Kings to the first playoff berth after a 16-year absence that was an NBA record at that time.
“Mike Brown is qualified as the NBA Circles head coach. He deserves this opportunity. When you come to two games within the NBA Finals and decide to let go of your coach, Tom Thibodeau, you’re looking forward to a big name.”
Of the few candidates interested in the Knicks’ job, one of them was former NBA player Metta World Peace.
As soon as Thibs’ firing was announced, the former champion expressed interest in the role and proceeded to the podcast, explaining why he deserves to be named head coach.
However, when it was announced, when Brown was given a role, World Peace congratulated him with a tweet, but he was disappointed that he didn’t win the role.
His tweet said, “Welcome to @knicks Coach Brown. A great pick. Now I can go back to my vacation.
Thibodeau has done a great job as a coach in five years, so Brown certainly wears big shoes.
He certainly has a good reputation, but the role is difficult because of the much pressure that comes with the Knicks work.
Brown has a good roster for his coaches, but now he has a little more time left, so he can add a few more players to his team next season.