Mike Brown’s Finals experience coming in handy for Knicks

Just 322 days into his tenure as the New York Knicks’ head coach, Mike Brown has the franchise in the NBA Finals. The Knicks have not seen the NBA Finals in the 21st century, but Brown has been there numerous times. Brown’s first Finals experience came in 2003, when he was an assistant on Gregg Popo

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What is the story about?

Just 322 days into his tenure as the New York Knicks’ head coach, Mike Brown has the franchise in the NBA Finals.

The Knicks have not seen the NBA Finals in the 21st century, but Brown has been there numerous times. Brown’s first Finals experience came in 2003, when he was an assistant on Gregg Popovich’s San Antonio Spurs staff. The team beat the New Jersey Nets to claim a championship, but Brown left the team following the season to join the Indiana Pacers. While Brown came close in Indiana, he eventually

returned to the Finals in 2007 with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Brown and the Cavs came up short in 2007, but it wouldn’t be Brown’s last dance.

It took a decade for Brown to return to the Finals in 2017, when he was the associate head coach for the Golden State Warriors. He began a dynastic run that saw him reach the NBA Finals in four of the next six seasons.

The 2026 Finals will mark Brown’s seventh time on basketball’s biggest stage, which should come in handy for a Knicks team that hasn’t been there before.

Players like Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby have been there with their previous teams, but the Knicks’ biggest change this season is a big reason why they find themselves where they are.

While there was chatter about his job security throughout the season, Brown has proven why the Knicks made the right choice in hiring him as head coach.