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How Did Rick Carlisle React to Kings Firing Mike Brown?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jonah Kubicek | Last updated Dec 28, 2024 3:02 PM ET

After two and a half seasons, the Sacramento Kings have fired head coach Mike Brown, which came as a shock to the NBA. Brown led the Kings to their first postseason appearance in 17 seasons and seemed to be well-liked by his players, but a 13-18 start to this season was too much and he was canned.

Denver Nuggets coach Mike Malone, who has also been fired by the team, said that the Kings' front office has "no balls." Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle offered a similar viewpoint but was a bit more eloquent with how he said it.

"The firing of Mike Brown was just shocking to me," said Carlisle. "I had the privilege of working with Mike when I was the Indiana coach the first time. I view him as one of the standard bearers of integrity in our profession, and I'm just absolutely shocked that decision was made. He'll certainly land on his feet, but if you look at the job that he did and the turnaround they had, it's just really hard to believe that decision was made."

Brown led practice and met with the media on Friday before he was fired over the phone in his car. The suddenness of it and the impersonal way the Kings handled the termination has drawn ire from around the league.

One has to wonder: the Kings have a horrid track record of throwing coaches under the bus. Why would anyone agree to take the job?

Brown was an assistant coach for the Indiana Pacers from 2003-05 and won Coach of the Year in 2023.

Check out the All Pacers homepage for more news, analysis, and must-read articles.

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

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