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Knicks' Tom Thibodeau Responds to Kings Firing Coach

Tom Thibodeau talks about the Sacramento Kings sudden change before the New York Knicks game.

Jeremy Brener

Dec 21, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown calls for a foul during the fourth quarter of the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
Dec 21, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown calls for a foul during the fourth quarter of the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images / Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
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ORLANDO, Fla. — Tom Thibodeau leads the New York Knicks and is part of a fraternity each season consisting of just 30 people who can call themselves head coaches in the NBA.

On Friday afternoon, the NBA head coach community took a hit after Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown was fired after just three years at the helm.

Brown, 54, was let go by the Kings just 31 games into the season after his team lost its fifth consecutive matchup against the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night. The team was 13-18 on the season and 12th in the Western Conference, but Brown compiled a 107-88 record during his time with the Kings.

"Yeah, you hate to see it. It's part of, you know, what we go through. Mike's terrific person, great coach. It's unfortunate," Thibodeau said before the Knicks played the Orlando Magic.

Former Knicks guard Doug Christie was named the team's interim coach. While he spent most of his playing career with the Toronto Raptors and Kings, Christie played 35 games with the Knicks. He made his Knicks debut on Dec. 27, 1994, exactly 30 years ago, and stayed in the Big Apple until Feb. 1996.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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