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Former NBA player not impressed with Mike Brown

Originally posted on Empire Sports Media
By Dylan Backer | Last updated Jul 7, 2025 12:08 PM ET

The New York Knicks made a significant head coaching change this offseason, replacing Tom Thibodeau with Mike Brown after a month of searching. The hiring has been mostly met with praise, but others don’t see it as a strong hire.

Jeff Teague not impressed with Knicks’ Mike Brown hiring

Former NBA player Jeff Teague discussed the matter on the Club 520 Podcast. He expressed that the hiring of Brown doesn’t change much with regard to the team’s outlook for next season.

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“They might as well have kept Thibs,” Teague said. “I ain’t never really heard too many people like Mike Brown—I ain’t saying they don’t, I just never heard nobody sing high praises for Mike Brown.”

Brown has an extensive coaching resume, as he has 11 seasons as a head coach under his belt, along with 13 as an assistant. He last coached the Sacramento Kings for the past three seasons but was fired midway through this past season after they got off to a slow start.

Brown has coached many different NBA legends

Brown has also coached several different legends of the game. He coached LeBron James during his first stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he also coached Kobe Bryant during Brown’s brief stint with the Los Angeles Lakers.

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Furthermore, Brown was a part of Steve Kerr’s staff on the dynasty Warriors teams, helping build one of the greatest teams in NBA history. His resume speaks for itself, as he has a strong track record of success in the league.

The Knicks are looking to finally snap their 52-year title drought next season, and they feel as though Brown can be the guy to finally end it. If the Knicks can pull it off, it will be a quality response to Teague’s criticism of the Brown hire.

This article first appeared on Empire Sports Media and was syndicated with permission.

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