Welcome back.
All the smoke were out here in Sacramento, California with the Kings for training camp.
It sir, and right now, man, we got a good one.
We got the reigning NBA Coach of the Year. Only is it the only unanimous coach of the Year in the history of the game.
I think so.
God damn, Mike, that's a hell of a title. Guy, you know our history.
Welcome to the show, Mike Brown, Sir, thanks for being I appreciate y'all for sure. Man, you were a part of something that was really big for this city.
You broke the sixteen year drought.
You came here, you brought a lot of energy, and you brought just a whole new confidence and comfortability, might I say for the team, for the city. What was your first year like here in Sacramento?
It was It was unbelievable. It was unbelievable. I met you. You know the vibe when it comes to Kings here because you've spent a lot of time here, whether it was with the team or not with the team, and these people they breathe and live this tame. I mean, you know, sixteen years they didn't go to playoffs, but they still hurt from that year after year after year after year, and so for us to break the drought, have the fans engaged again and be as excited as
they were and are. It's just it's just a great feeling, a fantastic feeling for all of us, you know, And it's more than basketball. When you see people's face light up when they're talking to about playoffs.
And energy, I'm just saying the keys every year.
Hey, send your comments to him, that's my guy. But send your comments to Steven Jesse Jackson's how's life?
You know.
Obviously making the playoffs is good enough. I know you well enough to know that, But how was your first off season here? And did you get to do anything outside of kind of how do we get better for next year?
You know, it's got a chance to enjoy the city. Actually, I'm not a guy that goes boating, you know, because I got the water and I went to Lake Folsom. Yeah, I went up to Lakes God at little couple of little boats and me family and friends went out there on the lake and had a good time, you know, getting to know the city and the people in the city especially you know, they got some pretty walking down on the river and all that other stuff. It's it's been a good time in the summer. The only thing
that I didn't get a chance to do. I'm a boy. I got two Harley's. I didn't get a chance to hop on my Harleys and there's some great riding in this area and I ain't get a chance to do that that.
You're gonna have a plenty of years here. You're gonna be able to knock that out.
La Oh, I love it.
How do you reflect on last year's seven game battle with Golden State? You know, obviously coming from Golden State playing them in the first round of the playoffs. To me, I thought, as someone who loves the game, watches the game as a fan of both teams, how you guys learned so much from that that's going to pay off this year. But how do you, as obviously the head coach, reflect on that series?
But the first thing is you said a little earlier, you know, I wasn't I'm not in this thing, and I think our guys understand that too, and they feel the same. We're not in it to make the playoffs. You know, people may think that this is bold or whatever, but we're trying to win a championship. That's what we're competing for. And people talk about, well, the pressure's on this year. I ain't no pressure because we expect to
win a championship. That's what we're fighting for. So it's no different for us this year than what it is last year or going forward. Having said all that, you know, again, the disappointment of losing, especially losing the first round, it was tough. It took a little bit to get over. But you're right, Steve Kurr is a great coach. They got a lot of great players there with Steph Klay Draymond andre I mean, I can go down the line
and at the time, they're the World champs. So to learn a thing or two from the World Champs was great for US. State suggest our offense a little bit. You know. Historically we had the number one offense in the game analytically and even some people will say with the eye tests, but they took some of that away, and so we had to make adjustments during the playoffs that I think can help us going forward defensively. That's why I was most concerned. But our guys did step up.
They took it to a level that I wasn't sure if we can get to which gave us an opportunity at the end of the day. And so now they showed me that they could do that. We got to do that.
Now.
We can't wait till the playoffs. Like we finished twenty fifth in the league defensively, so we can't wait till the playoffs to take that step. It's got to happen yesterday, and it's got to be a standard that we set and that we all hold each other accountable for doing it in a shooting around, a practice and or a game.
You were right in the middle of those Golden State championship runs. You know you spoke to obviously what you guys learned as the team. What did you learn as a coach being right a Highway eighty with Golden State?
Man, I tell you what Steve Kerr. You know, Pop is too okay, but Steve Kerr is one of the best messengers I've been around. And you know, as a young coach, yeah, I mean I coached both of y'all, you know, as a young coach because I was fortunate, blessed, lucky. How do you want to call it? To be able to be a head coach at a young age and all all about okay, hard work, hard work, hard work, you know, and if you work hard and you outwork everybody,
everything else will fall into place. But it's more to it than that, especially as the head coach, and Steve's ability to message to the group on a daily basis was unbelievable, and I always called Steve a young coach even though he older than me, he a young coach for a number of years he coached every day. I used to carry a little pad of a little notebook pad of paper in my pocket and the pen because when he talked to the team, I was like, dang, that's on point, crazy, you know it's and it's so
as simple, it's effortless yet but it's on point. And if you can message correctly to your group as well as have a feel of what their strengths and weaknesses are and try to play to that, then the belief that you were instilled and everybody as a whole can be off the charts and you may not be as talented as the next team, but that that belief and that connectivity. It's partly to do or a lot to do with your messaging to the group on a daily basis that can be that could take you places that
you can't imagine going. So that was probably the biggest thing I learned, is the messaging as aspect to the team. How important it is, you know, because I didn't take it as serious as I do now, and a lot of it is reality is I just I didn't know. That's something that I learned from Steve as well as a few other things.
Was this the same thing Dion doing the message Guys believe in themselves to go out there and do something that people saying you can't do.
Right, So that's the message, right Jack.
So I don't know. I don't know Coach Pryan, I'm gonna call him coach at first, but he earned that from me call coach. I got his number after the first win at TCU and I text him and I and all I said in my message was I'm so hyped watching this game. Not because y'all won, and one in the way y'all won, But when I watched the game and I saw your interaction with your players and the connectivity that you had with your players, that's what got me hyped.
Feel that stands out. I mean, and I don't know if anyone told you.
You know, I've been here for three years working, you know, with on the broadcast side, and you know, going to practice before you got here and then going to practice once you got here. You've completely changed the energy, the environment, the atmosphere. We even spoke to dearon Fox earlier after practice and he was saying, like, you know, I gotta paid a bunch of money, but it was hard to
come to work. It's like, I love to come to work now, and I obviously credit to management putting the piece together, but I feel like you brought an environment that this franchise was desperately lacking, and just kind of wanted to give you credit for that because I've personally seen it as a player again watching older practices with other teams or other coaches and then to see what you guys are on now and even can see you custom one out, so they kind of made us both smile.
You brought it directly to me if it wasn't me.
See it, but you know, just to kind of give you your flyers from that standboard, because again Darren was saying just weird things like it's so important for this team and this organization and we love to come to work now and it's just way different. And again, just wanted to kind of credit you.
I appreciate. I appreciate you know. One of the things that we say here is is we want to win the day. You know, we want to win the day. And in port of one in the day is number one your work ethic or competitive spirit that you bring to the table. Number two is the details. You know, you can't overlook any detail you want to be great. And the last one is continuing to form that belief in each other that we're going to be good. And the way you do that is by doing things the
right way, playing the game the right way. And you know, for me, I got to make sure if I'm asking my guys to do that, the details and coming to work and bringing the competitive spirit and all I gotta do the same. I gotta I gotta let them feel. They don't have to always see it her here, but they got to feel that all that stuff is important to me. So I got to bring it too. I can't come in here and sit back and chill and let them work.
And you hand me that you know what Winnen live like.
See, that's The thing though, that's that that's a as a player to have a coach coming here only that I know I can have a relationship with them. But you know what winning looked like. So it's easy to respect that because that's what we're all trying to go.
We're all trying to get this.
You guys brought your core back and obviously beating in the media. Some people are sacramented to make a ton of moves, and I didn't look at it from that sum but I looked at it. They believe in what they got, they're building what they got. You resigned the bonus. You brought the rest of your core back. You have some strategic ads like a Chris Dorte, Jabel McGee, Sasha who I'm looking forward to getting a chance to see.
But you know, obviously expectations are a championship. But talk about the growth you've seen, and it's only been a couple of weeks from the core last year to this year.
You're getting hit it on the head. If you think about if you think about teams that had great runs in this game, they're usually the teams that have accorded that keep together. A lot of times you might be able to have a run. If you throw this free agent that free agent game, you might have a good year, maybe two years if you're lucky. Then somebody's out. So now you've got to start all over again. And one of the things I told you know the VEC and Mani and Wes, is I'd like to build a culture
here that sustained. I'd like to build a winning culture that sustained so that three four years, five years from now, we still rocket because we got our group together and then eventually, okay, hey, he may be getting a little older. Maybe okay, let's move on from him and bring somebody else in. And so then the new ones coming up can keep it going. And that's what gives you longevity at the top of this game, or in my opinion,
any game. So in order for us to do that, we had to figure out what our core is and then we had to give them an opportunity to see if they can grow, to see if we can grow from within. And that comes from our work in the summertime. You know, if you're working in the summertime and you getting together and you getting connected in the summertime, there's gonna be some carryover. And so The thing I saw this summer from our guys is Foxy's growth with his leadership.
It started last year, but to see him take Keegan Murray under his wing and help Keegan grow at a faster rate than if Keegan was working out, because he gonna work out on every day no matter what. But to have Foxy have him under his wing and doing that and Fox interacting with him and getting Keegan to use it because Keegan was a quiet kid. Now kee can talking ship. I can say that.
We all show you.
I like that. I like that ship. To get Keegan to talk ship now you know what I'm saying that that's real coming from King and who's a quai Gan and and so that's helped Keegan's growth. But but but listen to Fox addressed the team and and our guys did some some stuff with with with other players around the league, and and listening to Fox Uh talk to the group and not just our players but other players coming in at the at the end the huddle and stuff like that, it made me want to say, Okay,
I'm a follow Fox. You know. So his leadership was off the charts in terms of growth, So give him an opportunity do it again, Keegan. He's stronger, he's uh, he's more confident now. He not it's gonna be a catch it shoot guy. You can see he's gonna put it on the floor. He's gonna play some pick and roll, He's gonna play some zoom ACX.
You know.
So let these guys grow, for sure, a second year, maybe even a third year before you start messing with the core. We feel like we have a core right now that can be sustained.
Speaking the key, and I want to speak to this because I saw it early last year and just kind of having an IQ for the game. You challenge him from the jump. On the defensive end, you were making them guard point guard, You're making them guard some of the best twos in the game. You didn't let him hide or kind of find your rhythm. You threw him right in the fire because I feel like, and when I was staying on broadcast, Mike wants him to be one of the best two way players in the game.
Was I right to read that?
And he has the capability of doing it, you know, and you both shoot you both know it. You both were two way guys, and so you know how valuable that is. In our business, especially at your size, your side, your size in Keegan's side, you get a guy that can guard on the ball. Now, you could do different things. Now at times you may be able to switch one through five, you know, because if a five rolls him down, you know he's gonna be able to keep them off the glass in or get him off that block and
not be able to get taken advantage of. So Keegan has the ability to do it. We just got to put him in positions to be uncomfortable and try to figure it out from time to time without really hurting the team as a whole for too long a stretches.
I remember I was in San Antonio when I first got to San Antonio, and I was frustrated about not playing, and he came to me one day in practice. He was like, you can't say he let the world. You mean come around. Well, the first of all, this is how it started. I'm in New Jersey. I make the rook Y'all Star team. Byron, don't play me no more.
The second half, I have no idea, but.
You know, you know, it's just a pe and me, I guess, and were playing the Spurs. I'm just on the side oline. My ones ain't warming up or nothing. It's know me, you ain't playing all yeah, because I ain't warming up and nothing.
Right.
So I see I see, I see him walking down. I'm like, you know what I'm saying. He walks like, keep your head, keep your head.
We come and get you. Keep you know what I'm saying.
I'm like, hold on real quick, I can't get I can't get fine for that, they gonna come get me the okay, okay, go ahead.
And something like cool. So during the summertime, you know I was, I was on a one year deal. So I end up signed with San Antonio for summer league, had a great summer league, end up making the team. But I'm not playing right out, you know what I' saying On the injine list, he comes this this one my career changing san Antonio. He was like, we all know you can score. You were second in some league behind Dirt, behind Dirk scoring. What's gonna get you on
this court if you play defense? I locked in from there. That turned me into a two way player. I wasn't a two way player into that conversation, and that got me on the court with the Spurs.
Then I end up starting to win, you know what I'm saying.
So all that's when he said that to people, he see something in you that you don't see in yourself.
Now, he's credited you a lot of a lot of times with that, and it's stuff to have you here and have you hear it because he's credit a lot kind of it takes a lot to turn the light on his headside that don't work.
This might be this week, but a lot of y'all don't know that story. Man am I Me getting to San Antonio, me getting the opportunity to play on the championship team and all that, all that started.
With Mike Brown that I'm gonna take it a step further too, because a lot of people don't know that year if you not a lot of we don't win, you know.
And obviously tynans Town, I'm not taking nothing away from that, but you carried us at times that people in today's game in the world don't even know. During that championship run, which was off the charts, beautiful definitely doing this.
Yeah, but I knew you RC beautiful pop tim that Yeah, I knew, trust man knew because y'all made me feel like maybe feel so appreciated about, you know, being able to beat that experience.
Papovich speaking us first Papovich Series, You need three stars in their prime to win a championship. You obviously have two All NBA performers and Fox and Sabonis. Who are you looking forward to stepping up this year to possibly be that third star kicking?
I'm gonna put the pressure on.
You to say no.
We We had a practice last week and he played zoom action, he hit the big and he went back and got the ball, or he played DHL and his man went underneath and kicking past the ball. And I stopped praying. I said, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. I said, if another man disrespect you and go under anything did you do out on that floor, you better shoot it. I said, because if you don't, you're coming out the game. So you do, you figure it out, You do what.
You want to do. He did it.
Hey, I'll tell you next clip went under him.
Yeah.
Him, he's got the chance. Now he ain't gonna give it to him.
Earn it.
He got to earn it. He got the chance to be that guy.
I see it. I see it.
Going back to this knugglehead. What was he like at twenty two twenty three. It was a young story line.
First of all, as you know, it's a true man right there. He's a true man. He got a great heart, he got a great heart. His heart is off. My son's playing their little flag football and he Saturday morning ten o'clock game. You know, we we're out on the field cold in India. He's there with his crew. He made his whole crew get up watch football. But I got to tell I hope I got enough time to say these stories. I hope, so the first one, and I would get a lot of I would get probably
some emails and some calls. But we used to take our team to Houston in the summertime and our top nine ten guys would go. Now, we go for about a week and we bright bread work out. And that's when all of the players used to go to.
Houst Sunday, yeah Funday.
Because because Luke had the gym going. The gym was rocket. So we used to keep all our players together when we play pick up. And this is win Tim. This when Tim fell in love with Jack. So so we're playing field game against some rockets and you know, you know, Tim and David because they were both there. They both
real quiet, head down guys and you know rockets. They talking a little smack and and Katino threw a lib to Steve Francis or Francis through a live to Contino, I'm induncted and there like yeah, yeah, yeah, let's run these bitches out of here. Jack granted, boy, he said, well wan want wait wait now, wait now who y'all calling bitches? That he said, because if any of us we gonna find out whatever, we can go outside like.
Now, Basta.
And man and you, Tim and David they were like, yes.
Exactly, exactly, bro exactly loved it, Hey, Maddie.
From that time on, yeah, nobody nobody said nothing to our team like this from that on. That's the first thing. So everybody loved him because he's about the team. He's about if you on his team, he got your back. You ain't got to worry about that at all. And the second thing was, uh, if this was interesting, it's kept my life interesting. Uh anytime we play a game, all right, Jack, not this soon as he man, I'm okay saying that was too right.
As soon as he walk up, he know the horror coming right, okay.
And he as soon as he hear that horror, he don't eve turn look. He started cursing and I'm like, oh ship, okay, okay, I don't have to deal with this. So Pop Pop ain't even look at him now, okay, Jack walking just looking at Pop looking at the action. Jack walking to the soon as he passed the coaches, I know it's my job. I get so, I go down to the end. I get my curse up. The fun that he beat out of you. There you go, there's about ham. So I sit there, I get cursed out.
Then I'm like, okay, done. Then if he ain't done, he'll keep going. But if he's done, if I say yeah, I'm done, I said okay, now now that is what you need to do. And after he take a breath, after he takes a breath, he know what's right, what's wrong. He relaxed for a second. Then he go back out there and if he and if it was bad enough, he goes, let me get it out. And you know what it was bad? Yeah, it's just a testament to
this heart. If he was wrong, he'd be the first and not just not just to one person, like the whole group. He goes he gonna go from a whole group.
And because I didn't know no better, I didn't know. You know what I'm saying. I was still learning. I was knowing how to be a professional. You know what I'm saying. I was on a team with a whole bunch of guys who are the ultimate professional. I'm still learning, you know what I'm saying. So, but that was a culture shock to go from New Jersey where you had a whole bunch of guys who on their way out,
you know what I'm saying, Sherman Douglas. Then I go to a team where you got stars like Tim Duncan, Dedack Robinson. But this is an organization that that's uh, everything.
Is about winning. It feels like a championship here.
So it was a different It was a culture shock for me, but it was a great It was the best thing for me because if I went anywhere.
Else, I wouldn't have lasted that long.
But since we talk about it, it just resurfaced of me calling off my wedding.
My boy was there, Yeah, Mike was there. So you came all the way from nothing to Michael was holding me down, holding me down. You know I was in the crime.
I remember, I remember this Vivili bro Uh when I called the web now, I was to be honest, all joke de side. I was really hurt, Bro, and he know I loved that girl and I was really wanted to be married for me to take that step, but this is what I remember vividly, and that's why I love him. And Mike Bibby's mama. I was in the crime, like hard down, cryme, Mike will be. Mom came in there and WAPs wipes not until the way with her bare hands and told me you became a man today.
And he came right behind her and said the same thing. You know what I'm saying. I was and you I was what twenty three twenty four at the time. Yeah, and I came straight up out of it, you know what I'm saying. And that meant a lot, because if I didn't have him have them there that day, I don't know how I would have made it out of that. You know, people can talk all this shit. Yeah, you was a man. You did what you're supposed to do.
But I was hurt, Bro. I was hurt for a long time because I actually wanted to be married. You know another, the best thing for you definitely was definitely was in my pockets. Got it serious? I mean obviously getting back to how important Mike and instrumental got too many stories. I'm gonna keep navigating, y'all.
Throw y'all, Michael was one of three people then help you get back in the league.
Can you guys both speak to that?
This is after obviously after the brawl Indiana.
I started so after San Antonio, I wanted my big contract.
We won championship.
I felt like I deserved a big contract because, like Mike said, they didn't look at like that.
But I carried a lot of games.
Game six in the West commerce Finals, we don't win that game if I don't carry. It's the first three quarters, so a lot. I was thinking like that in my head, but I didn't know the business as well. You know what I'm saying. You know what I'm saying. So if I could rewind back, I would have took that three year, ten year, three years, ten million dollars because I've been on a championship team. I probably won two more championship then always got a crazy bag that seeing all of that,
but I didn't understand the best of the time. So I was upset with them not getting my bag. So I had to go to Atlanta for one year to prove myself. I'm betting on you. I bet on myself today in front of ahitnybody, I'm betting on me. And I went down, balled out. But I had this in my mind that I didn't get my big contract. But I knew I had Mike and Rick and and uh Indiana that was.
Interested in me.
I had no idea I was gonna get a contract from him, but I knew they were interested, and I knew I had a relationship with him, so I knew go to Atlanta and ball out. Sure, ships think got ball out in Atlanta. They have another mid level exception available, and Donnie Walsh was high on me by there too, And I remember Mike tell them like, we're gonna We're gonna get you over here. And that's how it worked out for me going to Indiana end up getting the biggest contract I've had.
That's my guy.
Now fast forward to and thanks to you, I went around for it. Yeah, I was run for Fast forward to the brawl.
Yeah that that was crazy man like.
So so the BRA situation was crazy because it seemed like it happened from I'm getting Larry Barry calling me telling me that I'm signing a big deal with Indiana, and it seemed like.
The brawl happened the next day.
In my mind, that's how you know what I'm saying, because I was that happened soon as I got there. In my mind, I was in the position, Matt, where we're gonna win a championship.
Y'all was loaded. Nobody beating us, bro nobody beating us.
You know, we had Ridge on the court, but our lineup was Jamal me at the two, run at the three, Jeff Foster at the four, Jamaine Ain't nobody beating at five at that time on both y'all lost.
Y'all can fight too, you know what I'm saying. We was that type of team. Yeah, I can dig it.
So and at the time we beaten everybody like fourteen to five or something at the time, probably I think so I'm not privy to you know, I'm not privy to the beef from the previous with Eastern Conference.
Finals, So.
I'm sure he wasn't.
Surprised when I went the stands behind wrong because that's just how I am.
You know what I say, That's what I said earlier. He ain't about the team. I'm lawyer, and you know sometimes it could be talked to a far right exactly. That's just that's who he is.
And when he went I didn't think twice the game was over.
You know, we could talk about it now because people willing to look it down and slow down the frames. When I first win the stands, I didn't throw a punch. Me and Mike got to run at the same time. We both grabbed him. What made me throw that punch was another beer was throwing it wrong face, So that's what made me click.
If anybody look at it, I had no intentions.
I ran by thirty people and got to run, so I had no intentions on hit nobody. But when the second beer came, I felt like it was just it was just too disrespectful that and that's what happened.
But this is the funny part. What we don't talk about.
This motherfucker went off after the game, so doing the scuffling, somebody fucking around the elbow.
Here bus just lit. So we're in the locker room.
We all Mike meething hold On, come.
Rick so read it came coming there.
Yeah, mother, we kind of breaking out Jamaine.
They were grabbed un everybody they came in and going on. So it came to one point with Jamain stood up.
Chap with the coach because he got hit the mamo.
You know what I'm saying. So it was the emotions were highest the time, but I knew that like yesterday, dog, the emotions was high.
And it was not till until they came in and said, okay, we're gonna rest. Remember they said they gonna rest two players and one coach was like.
Jail. He got serious. It got serious. He got serious when they came to Baron, killed the whole everything. When he asked him, was we gonna get in trouble? When he said that, brought the whole locker room like.
In trouble.
But you ain't playing no more this year. That we'll be all day. We'll be here all day, all day. But I love you, Mike. I never I never got a chance to tell you this.
Don't camera publicly, but you know how my mom and how I feel about you. How from the opportunities you gave me to San Antonio to where you embraced me as like a little brother in the somewhere. I was in the league to be able to tutor me, and even when I wasn't playing on your team, you still made phone calls and make sure I was straight, still
checked on me. So that meant a lot to me, because you know, badly, making into the league and the road I took, you didn't have that many coaches that actually cared about me or my family or to come to my web too, leagues like that. So you made it a point to show me that you cared about me. Probably played for you. So I love you forever and I appreciate everything coach.
To man, and I can say the same for you in a lot of different instances. More poorly though, the times you showed up Saturday morning to support my boys when.
They had a hug. They had a hug. Today, I'm like, how you know him?
I started thinking, like nice embrace.
I was like, okay, yeah, that's dope, sir.
Let's jump back up to your upbringing. Pop was in the Air Force. He was always moving around. How was that born a clubs of how you're in bouncing around? How was that growing up?
It was? It was cool from the standpoint I experienced a lot of different cultures early on, and so it helped me, uh, going to a lot of different situations not afraid or at ease because I was in them types of situations all the time growing up, you know, constantly moving, you know, because your dad's in the air force. So you got to figure out, Okay, how do I fit in when I get to this school, How do I make friends when I get to this school. How
do I adjust to this culture and being in Germany. Yeah, you go to school with Americans because you're going to school on base and all that, but you're still living in the German community at times, you're still interacting because you're going off bas with the German. So again, it just helped me get more culture at an earlier age, which translated to a lot of stuff for me even even in my coaching career.
Any did you learn to speak the language?
I spoke fairly well back then. I mean I can get you know, I can ask where you live right now? How old are you? But you know, I'm dating myself at that I was back then. I was back in nineteen eighty eight, you know, when I was back there speaking it. So it's been a minute.
Growing up in the military environment. Does that have a lot to do with the man you are today?
Yes, And I said it earlier. You know my coaching style. You know again, fortunately blessed, lucky you have you want to call it, to get an opportunity at a young age. But I, at a young age, I was disciplined. I was really disciplined and in my opinion, organized, and and you know when I first got in the league, I was sleeping in my office. I thought it was the best thing in the world because, you know, I go
down sleep in the training room. I wake up, You got your showers there, you throwing a pair of shorts and you you clicking you back at work. So my work ethic was off the charge. And I and I credit it. I credit a lot of that to my dad. My dad. You know, he was an enlisted guy, but but he you know, his his stuff was pressed every day. Uh, and there were times he didn't want to be in be in the military, but you know, he did it.
He did it with his head held high, and he was organized and disciplaining all that, and he instilled a lot of that in me that I carried over to my my life in my direction my goals that I had in mind for myself.
You were basketball and football star. How did how did you get into those sports? Again?
My dad, my dad, he was he loved sports, and so all of us, you know, there's four of us, my self, my older sister who she played softball growing up. She's actually stopped and you know, going to college. She's real smart. Got an academic scholarship to Boston University. Then my younger brother, who played five years in the NFL, and then my younger sister who played Division one basketball.
My dad just started as early. He was one of those fathers that was around a lot of times he coached us, you know, and and because he was passionate about it. You know how it is, man, if you're especially if your dad, if your dad's passionate about something and you're and you're younger, a lot of times you're gonna fall into that and you're gonna be passionate about it. So so that was that was that. It was mainly because of because of him and his love for the game.
Bernie Bigger, Staff, David Fizdale, Hank Egan, Coach Egan, my guy, Chris Grant, Ed Musselman talk about the influence US crazy San.
Diego and his influence. So they be a San Diego.
Oh man, there was a there's a lot of US out there U s D.
Yeah, my U C l A is there now, Yeah, he's there.
Uh you know, I think uh uh A lot has to do with it, because you know, we went to us D and and and we knew we couldn't play, so we have we had to figure out some other path to get to the.
Very important Yeah, you know, so so we wanted to get.
To the league. We got to figure out how we get the league because it wasn't gonna because we could play, you know at the time, but another guy, James Brago, James Brago USD. But so it started. You know, I played there. Never forget. I was about to go on my last trip as a player on the team. Stopped by Coach Egan's office. It was on he got a coffee table in there. There's a us D magazine and on the cover is a picture of Bernie Bickerstaff and
I'm like, WHOA. I started reading it because Bernie was kind of at the time, he was my idol because here's an African American that was a head coach and a GM already, but he never played in the league, and so I'm like reading this and I'm like, he went to USD. Hey, you know, because Bernie from the rural area Kentucky and his route to get to USD was crazy in itself, and so that blew my mind. So that even made me, it even drew me closer to him, although he didn't know me and I didn't know just
from Afar. So I asked, I asked coaching, and I said, hey, do you know anybody in the NBA can get an internship with? Because I still had took me four and a half years of graduating, so I had to come back for a half a semester. And he said, yeah, I know Larry Brown because Hank was at Air Force Academy when Larry was the head coach and the Nuggets, and he should come down there for training camp. And he goes, I know Bernie Pickers. I said, you know Bernie,
He said yeah. I said, can you ask for an internship? He said yeah. So I did summer internship, which turned into a job offer as a video coordinator, and that's how I got in the league. And then once I got in the League. You know, this is back in the day where we had the VHS tapes back the deck and then we had the big satellite dish and we had to plug in the coordinates to try to get the games. And uh, and I was the only
guy in the video room. And so when they finally let me get help in the video room, I adn't really know nobody, so I just was calling on my ex teammate. Chris Grant came in and turned for me. Neil Meyer came in turn for David Fizdale when he tried to get the business. We played it so Eric Sposter and I played against each other. He was at University of Portland and I was at USD. Now we was better than him. We start each other, you know, we don't put that on record, but but he's still
my guy, you know. And and so when David Fizdale was getting league, we called Spoe and said, hey, we got the shy. So they didn't even know each other. So Spoe took him on because Spoe was in the video room. And then it just started growing from there.
You know, that's really great.
Yeah, assistant coach under bigger staff, under Pop, under Rick Carlisle obviously three guys that made their mark as head coaches in this league real quick.
One thing you learned from each of.
Them, very big staff. I thought he was he was his feel for players. You know, you talk about the players coach. In my opinion, it's burning pop. He was a guy that, in my opinion, made everybody one through fifteen plus everybody in the front office, everybody on the staff, even the janitors feel like when they wanted, they were all a part of part of it. Every everybody was a part of it. I don't know how he did it. I still try to duplicate that, but he was amazing
in that area. Rick Carlile details and he's one of the smartest. Yes, he is methodical about the details. And it's just because he is. He's a smart, smart individual that's retely smartest.
Really dope.
Uh, you land your first job in two thousand and five as a head coach at just thirty five, very young, and being a black coach at that young at that time, did.
You feel like you were ready? Had you had enough bumps and bruises yet or.
I mean, I'd never go back on it. I'm gonna keep taking that paycheck, right, But if I was keeping it real. No, And that's that even though we had success, we had a lot of success because we had Lebron James.
Now he was still learning and growing too, but he made my job a lot lot easier and I and you know, when I look back on it now, I look at some of these young coaches now, like like Missoula and some of the other guys, and I'm just amazed because the pressure now is even so much more so than back there because of the social media and all the other access that we give you guys now, you know, to us, and so the jobs that they do are a lot harder than when I first got
the job. And I'm watching them, I watching my interviews, I watch them on the sideline and all that, and I'm I'm just amazed at them. There was a lot that I still needed to learn, but I was fortunately, blessed, lucky to be able to have the job at the time and the tape bumps and bruises experience, yes sir, yes, sir, and which in turn has helped me be a better coach. To that.
One word to describe twenty one year old Lebron James, who that's it right now?
I take that. That's it. That's it. Come from off the court, on the court to his body, to how he takes everything his mind one at twenty one.
So this ain't even on the rundown.
But I'm thinking now that I see because we're gonna talk about the finals, the run you guys made to the finals against Detroit when he went nuts.
That was that year, right to get you guys there? What was that like?
The thing that I remember most vividly is is, you know, I had a great staff back then, and Mike Malone, who I think one of the best coaches I love, on my staff, and I'll never forget Detroit called the time out. You see all the coaches go to the free throw line and huddle up real quick, and then they go in they say what they gotta say. And I was young, Mike was young, and we had Hank was the guy that kept us studying. But this the
one time, this one time I kept us study. So we go and we start talking and Mike's like, hey, we gotta we gotta do this offensively. I said, whoha. I said, no, no, no, no, no, we ain't fun with Lebron right sit right here, and we're gonna wait until the buzz is about to sound, and I'm going there, say my one, two, three, and let them get back out on the floor. And so I went back in the huddle and Lebron was saying something. I just stood
there listen. Then they turned and looked at me. I said, I didn't want to say nothing to that.
Incredible in the finals, you're running up against your old boss, Greg Popovich. Obviously san Antonio comes up on top of What did you learn about yourself at that point?
Man? I learned a lot. It's tough. We played one one way the whole year, offensively, and my whole philosophy going into that situation was, if I can get these guys to defend at the highest of high levels, having a talent like Lebron, at the end of the game, he's gonna make enough plays to where we're gonna have a chance to win because we believe in our defense that much and Lebron is that good offensively, and so we played a lot of spread pick and roll with him.
And you know, a lot of people think spread pick and roll just started recently, But what people don't remember, people we played uh Donielle Marshall at the four and at the end of games, we had Anderson Begs our center, so we just did some action, some false action and the switch and yeh Andy came up and a lot of times he flipped that pick and roll, which helped
Bron get downhill and now he sprang and uh. You know, it was great during the regular season, and it got us through at our defense, and that got a student on the playoffs. But we went up against that well oiled machine. Uh, and they they basically wherever Bruce was guarding to pick and roll they had and Bruce was quick and you know, he was feisty, tough, all that stuff.
Bruce went all the way under and just waited on Lebron at the free throw line, and then a big waiting on Bron at the free throw line, and now they forced him to take jumpers. At the time that that hurt me because.
He wasn't as confident as jumper at the time correct.
And I didn't. It was hard to make adjustments at that time that drastically to your offense to try to beat those guys, because if you look at the score, it wasn't like we got blown out one hundred to seventy nine. They were eighty five eighty two. You know, they were close games, but it was because we just couldn't We were solid defensively, we couldn't score.
Tony was going crazy, correct, Tony crazy?
And if I remember write, what also hurt Larry Hughes didn't Larry Hughes was our starting point guard and he had gotten hurt. I wanted. I think you gotten hurt. He didn't play and having him uh be able to match it with Tony might might not have stopped Tony.
But he was one of the best defenders in the league all that time.
Yeah, he was long as leg Yeah, yeah, correct.
You took a lot of heat the media at that time. Some were saying Lebron was coaching, and how did you deal? How do you when that media storm and all that kind of bullshit and noise? How do you stay mentally strong and confident in your abilities?
It was hard as a young guy, you know, but I tried to. I really tried to ignore the noise even when we were playing well, because I didn't want. You know, you always attribute a lot of stuff to the people you work with. And one of the things that that Rick Carlisle was really good at. He never really got too high doing he never really got too low. He was pretty even get killed the whole time. And that helped me a lot working for him and listening
to him say that. But having said all that, yeah, you know, I'm human it, they'd boy me a little bit and when the stuff that you heard. But I'm a firm believer that you got to give guys ownership, and I got that. I even got that from Pop. I mean I was in the huddle as an assistant coach on the Great Teams in San Antonio where sometimes Tim would say no, no, no, let's do this, let's do this on the board, and Pop would be like, okay.
You know.
The difference is Pop is Pop, and so they ain't gonna mess with him like they mess with me, you know, And that's just part of it. So uh, I accepted it, and I moved on from it, and you know, I grew from it and learned from it. Just like another thing. We were one of the first teams, and again it's because of Lebron. Our pre game, our pre game. Our guys were dancing and doing all this stuff, and people used to kill you. Ain't got no control of your guys.
They doing all this. Yes, before the game, I'm like this. They just having fun, you know. But because I was a young coach, it was when we were a young team. It was an easy target for people to talk about back then too, you know, But you learn a lot as a young guy like jack said, you know, you take your hits and your loves and as long as you don't you know, as long as you take it and you try to grow from it in some way,
shape or form. And that's I can honestly say that all the experiences that I've had and went through, I'd be the first nay I was wrong, you know, because I'm not right by no means all the time. And you just hope you learn and you grow from it and hopefully gonna be better next time around.
Los Angeles Lakers come knocking, You get that job, You come in the year after Phil Jackson leaves.
Shoes bags shoes to feel Lakers? How did that? How did that process happen?
Uh? First of all, if I could do it again, I probably wouldn't do it again because you know Phil, He's won of all times, and you know you're not gonna be able to duplicate anything he does. And I hate to say this, but you ain't gonna be able to duplicate what Pop did you and even Steve Kurran now you know, uh, it just is what it is. But the challenge was great and all that other stuff. When I looked at it, when I looked at the job, I just thought that there was still a lot left
with the team. And obviously God rest his soul. But Kobe's Kobe, so so you you know, okay, you got Kobe. And then the reality is there were some great players. You know, power is great, even Andrew, a young guy. You know, uh, I don't know if at the time and Ran changed his name already he was you know. That meant you fish there was a lot there. But but the reality oft is I was next most excited about lamar odom.
So much game, and you're right, not only.
They have so much game, but the flexibility, the versatility became that team. Like you could play big with him at the three, uh and Drew, or you could play you could play powered, well, you played power to five him at the four. And then you know, so the versatility on that team excited me more than anything else. And I never that was the lockout year I'll never forget.
Man.
We had a lockout here the whole time as a staff were working on and try how can we enhance this versatility and not not not just offensively but defensively too. And uh and then two days before a training camp start, you know, they say they traded them. Oh man, that they crushed me. They crushed me, and uh, you know, it is what it is.
Uh.
I thought we still had a decent year. I think we won the Pacific Division. I want to say that year and uh we took uh it was okay, see we took O k C the seven games and it's our six games in the second round, you know. And yes they could have you know, you look back and I wish I did this different or that different. But I thought we had a good year. And then year two.
Uh we started off one and four. I was okay with it because we had a lot of new faces that we were trying to integrate in terms of Dwight Nash and it was maybe somebody else and and uh but I go in and I get fired, and it is what.
It is the business. The cod get his five games? Uh, real quick?
What was it like working with Kobe and trying to you know, what do you call coach player relationship and they're not friends? But like, how did you get on the same page with Cobe? But how what was that process?
Like? It was great because Coke for me, you know, and there were a lot there are a lot of coach you know, we have our own coach speak, but there are a lot of coaches that coach Kobe around Kobe that had a hard time because Kobe blunt. Now, Kobe gonna look at you an eye and tell you what he want to tell you. For me, I like that because I felt I always knew where I stood was. You didn't have to I have to be correct, that's the best way to I didn't have to assume anything because if he didn't.
Like it, he's gonna tell you.
And so that was for me the best part about him. You know, now you're throwing his competitiveness and all this other stuff, and it was great. Now. The thing that was tough, well, because he had won championships with Phil and he won him in a certain way. It was hard as a young coach to say, hey, Kobe, let's do it.
This way style. Yeah, I'll say it for you like you would just see.
And it wasn't almost it was like like I said, it wasn't a disrespecting. It was just like Kobe's like, we've won five this way. So now there's a whole new philosophy where Mike is trying to implement on this and it's just sometimes it just didn't work.
And and I don't blame himcause I'll probably be the same way too if I was with him and I experienced five championships doing it in a certain way. But the tough part about it, man, as you know, I can't be feeling it's hard, and now that I wouldn't even want a staff, so I don't really. So now I'm learning a lot as we're going along of what used to happen. And because I don't coach like that or I wasn't around, sometimes it's hard for me. I can't adjust just because Field did it right.
You know, you got to do it your way.
But what you didn't know coming in, like there was some internal funk and when Phil decided it was time and Mike came in, you would never know Phil Jackson.
Was ever there.
They took all of his ship down, bro It was graz all of it so some guys are coming back, like not only.
If you remember too, the whole scouting apartment they gone was gone and then they brought it. I mean there was there was, There was a lot, a.
Lot of change, a lot of change at that time.
I think Jim Bust was making calls at that point, and there was a lot of moving parts outside of basketball.
Who's Mike Brown?
Oh man, I'm a grandfather? Wow? Yeah yeah it quick story on that. So my son Elijah, uh, when he when he told me when he and his girl they said they were pregnant, you know, the first thing, and people gonna look at me kind of like yeah. So but I was like, first thing the pop in mind was. I mean, it was cool and all that, but I didn't take congratulations all. The first thing I said was I still got some swag in my game, said Ganda said, I can't be called grandpa. I said, pop Papa. That's
my dad's name. My dad is pop Pa. I said that. I said, that's my shame. You give Rid all the grades. You know, you look good with your stuff.
Jack got my slag.
I was like, so the first thing I thought, I said, I said, he love man, I said, I said, that's good. I said, but the baby gonna have to call me big Mike said.
Man.
As soon as my grandson got here, Man, I looked it up. Somebody saying it. Somebody said, look at Paul Paul looking at him, that's my name, p A W p A. My name is Paul Paul right now. So so you know, I love being a grandfather.
Man.
I love my family time, I love I love my motorcycles. You know. Uh, that's that's it in the nutshell, you know. I love you boys. I mean I face time. And now one of them was working for any other ones, working for forty nine ers. I'm facetiming.
Yeah, that's awesome. I see the smile on your face. I mean, it's been a hell of a journey, obviously not over. You've got an opportunity to coach some of the greatest players ever to play this game.
Too. We didn't talk about I want to touch on before we let you out of here.
Stephan k D I tell you and you said it. I did again. Fortunate, blessed, lucky, have you want to call it? To be able to coach some of the greatest and and if I could say that they all have one thing in common. It's the competitive spirit, the competitive spirit for who they are already, which is what makes them them great. And you can put slash work ethic. A lot of people think that these guys just show up,
and you know, they don't none of it. Do that the time and the commitment that they put in behind the scenes to be great, and then when the lights come on, they don't understand how competitive that they are when it comes to trying to win and to contribute what they can contribute to help teams wins. It's unbelievable.
Uh, that's your solo camera right there talking to all the Kings fans. What do you gotta tell them this year?
Coach?
You guys were great last year. We're gonna need you even more this year. So keep doing your thing, keep showing us love, and we're gonna keep laying it out on the floor every single time we step on that hardwood. A lot of love for you guys, and uh sacramental, let's rise up, baby.
Being before we get out of here, Mike, if you can rewatch any game in the history court side, which game would it mean?
Day? That's that's a great car. There's just a couple this, I'm gonna give you too. So when we played the Clippers last year, I know it was just a regular season, but it was one seventy five, one seven.
Yeah, there was some there was some triple overtime something.
There was some great basketball plays in that game. I mean, it was a lot of fun. And then the reality of it is we talked, we spoke on it earlier when Lebron had twenty five twenty seventh straight. To be able to sit there and watch it, you do appreciate it. But if I was a fan, oh my.
God, yeahids about that one.
Yeah, that was that was beautiful.
Tough one coming up next, tough question. Got to hit you with it though, the oh Jordan, Kobe.
Bron, everybody gonna think I'm diging. I'm okay with it. I'm okay with it.
You ain't good first person.
So it depends on what you want. You know what I'm saying.
Explain what you mean by that, because I get what you're saying, but the fans may not.
So like back in the day when when when Bron was young, got playing for ass, I'll never forget we're playing Washington. I think the first time we made the playoffs and in the game, boom boom, he drive at Washington, he gets double trouble team, he kicks it to Damon Jones, jams Jones hit from the left baseline, his wide open That set the tone for who we were and why we were as good as we were the next four or five years because of his unselfishness, his willingness to
make the right play every single time. So I was never mad at him from making the right play because now it makes it easier for me to tell you and you got to make the right place all the time.
It's crazy that he gets knocked for that thing.
That's that used to drive me insane. And it's like, are you trying to create an individual? You trying to create a team? You know, And so if you're especially if you're putting the team together, okay for the first time, and you're trying to lay the foundation the principles of culture, all that man, because he's gonna help with that connected you know what I'm saying. Now, if you just want straight.
Killers, would say the team I got you and who can get you get carried?
Then you go with those guys. But you know, one of the things that that that I will say is and at the end of the day, and this is why Bron is still uh, why he's still in my opinion from the outside looking at why he's still working as hard as he's working to not only just to be the great, but to have his team be the greatest because he knows. And I bet you the other two guys will say the same thing that the championships
have a lot to do with it. At the end of the day, you got championships, then you got to write this.
I remember Code wanted Cod Well this whole thing, you wanted six. I want to sit at the same table as MJ. So now Bron's saying I want five and want to be in that conversation.
With Magic and Cod.
There we go right there.
Funny thing this happened to you recently?
Oh dang, I mean that's that's a good one. But but I mean I as early as today, I tried to play it off. But I tripped. I got sniped about five times practice. And I say this because I would We had our coaches after practice and you know, you try to play it, just try to just jog it off. And uh, the first thing I sat down, we started talking in one of my loop locks. He luke late got a chance to be ahead cause I got four or five cats.
On my staff. The number Jordan the best coach in the.
League, d C. D C has learned, said people were sleeping on d C. He what I like about him too, He's like Darvin Ham when I had Darmenham and the Lakers with me and the Lakers because he was coaching like in New Mexico at a really low level and he had just got fired or something, and so I bring d Ham and and we wanted to give d Ham scouts that year. And this is one of I got the most respecting world from him, he said, He said, Mike, he said, I'm not ready for that right now.
It's interesting and.
It takes a lot for somebody say, because you know, everybody wants to show they can talk and show they knowing all that. But I'm not ready for Let me let me learn and doing that and later on next year I do scouts. But DC's second d C works hard at his craft, you know. And and there's too many of us, especially y'all ares black ex players, and I'm not trying to go down that road too far.
But where they like, let's hire him because he helped with the relationship you know what question, And and Doug and d Ham are guys that I've been around to take that the heart like they trying to learn the game, and that, in my opin, that's what makes me because he got what y'all got, and he also got the other stuff. And there's a lot of guys out there that have that just don't get the opportunity. But so I now, going back, I sat down and Luke smart
Ass were talking seriously. He said, A said, you got snipe? That comes said he I think he said, he said, are your sneakers new?
But y'all don't know the reason why we say snipe because when you're in the basketball gym, there's no hum centerpore. The lines are flat, so there's no reason to trip. I might be running and walking. And then Florence just freshly got shouted.
That in Miami someone tripped me. I got it. I got it.
D Wade pump faked me. I ran into the stands. That ship was sucked up, but someone tripped me. I swear I didn't get sniped. Someone tripped.
H Top five coaches in your opinion all time.
That's yeah, I mean you got you got them popping there. Uh, Chuck Daily, you got thro Chuck Daily. Now I'm gonna get I'm gonna say these two names, but the career is not over, and they probably gonna got th Steve Curry, you got those sposter probably there. And then this is just me selfishly. I don't know this, but as as much love as Red or Back got, he might have to be in there as well as Bill Russell. That's interesting. So Bill, A lot of people don't know he was
a player coach and how many right he won? But as a player coach eleven total? Yeah, eleven total, But I think he won a couple as a players coach. So if I'm correct, then I would I would have to because I don't know if there's anything harder than to be a player coach.
Yeah, exactly. Time he was living in.
Right, Yeah, correct, you go down the.
Line, Yeah five din against dead or alive, anybody at your table breaking bread with.
You, man, And I know people will be like, hey, man, he don't know what he talking about. But my family, my two boys, my grandson, my.
Girl, I love you.
You know.
That's the first world over two hundred episodes. You're the only person that's ever said that.
I like that. It's like that too. That's right, that's right. Who do you want to see on our show? All the smoke?
But but before you answer that question, you have to help us get your answer on the show.
Oh I got good at that ship.
I started like him, Mike his coast and been around a lot of great people he has.
I'm sure.
You know.
I was about to say, I love to see pop on your show.
I would.
I would be, yeah, I love to see Pop up. But also the next to two down and Steve Kurr and Sposter we.
Got Steve already, Foster would be dope, it'd be a good call. Steve kurs those told some great stories.
Steve he got right, I got. I gotta try to find that one and go back and see that one because he because he got some stuff, he got some real.
Stuff about to be one to after we won the six I mean No. Three, when he wanted the West Conference Finals and he came in and hit those four threes. Yes, after the game, the media was all on him. But I was sitting in the back me and it was Geno, the first genob But it came up, was like, bro, you deserve the v to Steve Hurricane. To my there was asking him questions. He'd be lying to the back that you wanted this game. That meant the world to me.
And that's what I was talking about. That's what I was talking about right there, because he got a lot of love. Which you know, he hit some big shots, but if he don't do him, no, he don't even have a chance to hit the big change.
Yeah, Mike, man, we appreciate you taking the time, best of luck with this team.
Yeah, definitely long overdue.
Happy for you, like I said, being from here and seeing what you've been able to change not only his team into but the city because, like Jack said, as much as I love secret much to do out here, but you winning back to sacrament on that, I know that means a lot for every single person in the city. Man, So we wish you the best of luck this season and for many seasons on and thank you for your time.
I appreciate that. But now I heard you about to ask a quick question about my best heart. I'm gonna get one name. Can I throw one name out there him? If you want, I'm gonna throw one out there so a lot of people. I like old school rap, okay, and that's what you if you If you hear music coming from a Harley, it's gonna probably be old school rap. It's gonna be country one or two. So I gotta give give a little loved to My guy came Brown, Came Brown, and country music familiar.
I haven't heard his music, but I heard of hip on that.
You know it's stuff.
We'll make sure you check him out. Man.
Well that's Mike Brown, reigning NBA Coach of the Year. You catch this on Showtime Basketball YouTube and the iHeart Platform Black Effects. We'll see y'all next week.