The New York Knicks are looking to take a successful Eastern Conference Finals run and expand on it in the 2025-26 season. With that singular ambition in mind, they have also replaced head coach Tom Thibodeau with Mike Brown. Consequently, it turns out that Josh Hart nearly began a relationship with Brown on the wrong foot by almost missing his first call.
The Knicks saw the state the Eastern Conference was in and didn’t waste any time improving the roster. They made key roster additions by adding Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele. After deliberation, the front office also decided Thibodeau wasn’t the right coach for the job.
Former Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown turned out to be the team’s choice. One of New York’s biggest problems last season was that the team’s style of play became too predictable. Thibodeau relied heavily on Jalen Brunson as the main source of offense. It didn’t help that he pushed the starters to play 40+ minutes on a nightly basis, even in the regular season.
Brown’s best trait as a coach has been touted as his ability to formulate a dominant offense. He did so with the Kings in the 2022-23 season, in which they top offense in the league.
Brown’s process starts with forming a great relationship with his players. As a result, he tried to reach out to everyone a part of New York’s core. He nearly had some trouble getting in contact with Hart.
“I was with family and we’re all at dinner,” Hart said on the Roommates Show. “Apple now has the little ID joint. So, I get the number calling, I’m like, ‘who the hell is Michael Brown?”
Hart had never heard anyone refer to Brown as Michael before. It didn’t even cross his mind that it could’ve been his new head coach. Hart’s close friend Matt Hillman was the one who put the two together.
“I don’t know Michael Brown, so I ain’t picking this up. And then Matt just sitting there like, ‘Is that your new coach?” Hart recalled. Immediately, Hart went to answer the phone and lo and behold, Brown was on the other side of the call.
The two have been able to move forward as if the unfortunate incident never happened. Either way, the phone call is a testament to the work Brown is putting in to show the care he has toward his players.
Brunson revealed what he has picked up from his conversations with Brown thus far. “It’s been very little basketball talk, and just getting to know everybody. I appreciate and respect that,” he proclaimed.
It’s always a great sign for a coach to get the stamp of approval from the team’s best player. Especially considering Brunson is the Knicks’ point guard who is typically an extension of the coach on the court.
If the beginning of Brown’s relationships with his players suggests anything, it is that the Knicks are on pace for a prosperous season ahead.
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