New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby stands on court during the second quarter against the Indiana Pacers. Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Why Knicks HC Loves OG Anunoby

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Sep 29, 2025 7:00 AM ET

New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown is going into his first year with the team, but his three decades in the NBA have allowed him to cross paths with a lot of people in the league.

Among those personnel is his new small forward OG Anunoby, whom he praised in a recent press conference.

“Many people don’t know this, but OG and I have a previous relationship and I reached out to OG in 2020 [when he coached the Nigerian national team]. I reached out to most of my Nigerians in the league because there are a ton of them. And we were in conversation," Brown said h/t Posting and Toasting.

"He was close to playing on that team, but we sparked a relationship back then, and we even had lunch to talk about it during the course of the season when I was in Golden State. I think he might’ve been in Toronto and they came to town. We grabbed lunch, but we’ve been in contact via text and on the phone a couple times. He’s a really great guy, a fantastic guy, and he does have some personality. Sometimes he lets it out. Sometimes he doesn’t.”

New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby boxes out Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Anunoby is the exact type of player a coach wants on the defensive end of the floor. He puts in a ton of effort and is willing to do what it takes for his team. Brown says that Anunoby has similar features of players that he's coached in the past.

“First-team All-Defense. He is more than capable. Really it’s up to him. That’s how good he is. He’s a first-team — and I’ve been around those guys. Bruce Bowen. Tim Duncan. I’ve been around a few of them, and he’s right there," Brown said.

Brown was an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs under Gregg Popovich from 2000-03, winning his first NBA championship in his final season with the team before heading to the Indiana Pacers. He knows what good defenders look like and Anunoby has the similar DNA.

That's high praise for Anunoby, giving him major shoes to fill as Brown's primary enforcer on defense.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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