Mike Brown is excited about the potential and the pressure of being Knicks coach

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Mike Brown knows there's going to be pressure that comes with coaching the Knicks. He also knows there's a great roster and great restaurants waiting in New York. He's excited about all of it. The new Knicks coach shook off any concerns about taking over a team that fired Tom Thibodeau despite getting two wins from the NBA Finals, pointing to the positives Tuesday that made him want the job. "Nobody has any bigger expectations, first of all, than I do. I mean, my expectations are high," Brown said. "But this is the Knicks. I talked about Madison Square Garden being iconic. You talk about our fans. I love and embrace the expectations that come along with it, so I'm looking forward to it." Brown was hired a little more than a month after the Knicks surprisingly fired Thibodeau despite getting to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years. Brown didn't want to talk too much about that decision, nor the Sacramento Kings' choice to fire him last season. "First of all, Tom's a tremendous coach and he is a friend of mine, but I don't want to get into the past," Brown said. "I'm just excited about the roster. I'm excited about the things that we're going to put in place here and where we could go with the guys that we have." The Knicks went 51-31 last season and have one of the strongest starting fives in the league, headlined by All-NBA selections Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. They would have gone into next season as one of the favorites in the East if they brought back their same team. Instead, team president Leon Rose and owner James Dolan decided they needed to change coaches as they continue searching for their first championship since 1973. "Our goal, starting with Mr. Dolan to Leon to the players all the way down to the fans, is to build a sustainable, winning culture that produces championships. That's why I'm here," Brown said. "I'm fortunate to know what it takes to create that success: a lot of hard work, a high level of commitment and a focus on today." Brown talked about wanting to win and called New York "a great place that has like thinking." He is eager to build a partnership with Rose, the former player agent who represented LeBron James when he played for Brown in Cleveland. "And then looking at the roster and the reality of it is, Ro said, 'We better move to New York because I'm a foodie," Brown said, referring to his fiancee who was seated in the front row. "So when you combine all those things, it was a no-brainer for me." Brown is 454-304 in 11 seasons, winning NBA Coach of the Year honors in 2009 with Cleveland and 2023 in Sacramento, when he led the Kings to the playoffs for the first time since 2006. They fired him 1 1/2 seasons later. The Knicks equally valued his success as an assistant coach, winning an NBA title in 2003 under Gregg Popovich in San Antonio and three more championships under Steve Kerr in Golden State. He also led the Nigerian team to an upset victory over the U.S. in a pre-Olympic exhibition game in 2021. "When I was in San Antonio with David (Robinson) and Tim (Duncan), it was about playing inside-out, and now fast-forward to my time with Steve it's about pace and space and that's where the game is," Brown said. "If you can't evolve you're going to get left behind, and so I feel like I'm trying to do that and hopefully we'll be able to bring some of that here." Brown believes he takes over a team that can play fast like he prefers, but also has the versatility to play other styles thanks to Brunson. He added that the Knicks' success in the postseason shows their potential. The road to go even further next season is open for the Knicks, with Indiana and Boston likely to be weakened after stars Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum sustained Achilles tendon injuries in the postseason. But Brown said there is plenty of work to do. "They're a lot of good teams out there. Doesn't matter if those guys are injured or not," Brown said. "At the end of the day, teams are going to find ways to win. So we don't feel like it's going to be any easier just because of injuries."