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Knicks' Leon Rose Makes Mike Brown Statement After Official Announcement
© Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks have had an interesting offseason thus far that started off with a shocking decision after their playoff exit.

After reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000 last season, the Knicks started their offseason by surprisingly firing head coach Tom Thibodeau.

This decision was a shocking one as many people around the NBA expected Thibodeau to return as New York’s head coach next season, though the Knicks believed that it was time for a change.

With Thibodeau gone, the Knicks interviewed, or requested to interview, many different candidates for the position and they finally made their decision late last week as it was reported that they were expected to hire Mike Brown.

On Monday, the Knicks officially announced Brown as their next head coach and general manager Leon Rose made a clear statement about the decision.

“Mike has coached on the biggest stages in our sport and brings championship pedigree to our organization. His experience leading the bench during the NBA Finals, winning four titles as an assistant coach, and his ability to grow and develop players will all help us as we aim to bring a championship to New York for our fans,” Rose said about Brown.

Of course, Brown was previously the Sacramento Kings’ head coach until he was fired last December after their disappointing start.

During his time with the Kings, Brown helped the franchise snap their long playoff drought, resulting in him winning his second Coach of the Year award, the first coming during his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Brown now heads to New York where he will have high expectations in his first season with the franchise, especially coming off a run to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Despite the pressure, Rose and the rest of the Knicks believe that Brown was the perfect coach for the position and they hope that he can help lead the franchise to a championship next season.

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

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