There is a new head coach in Manhattan and he is well aware of the pressures that come along with leading the Knicks roster. Even so, Mike Brown welcomes the high expectations around the club, and acknowledges the fact that he’s in charge of one of the strongest locker rooms of his career.
The New York tactician started by shaking off any concerns regarding the discharge of Tom Thibodeau, and taking over the squad he managed for five seasons. The former coach got fired despite being two victories away from this year’s NBA Finals, but ended up losing to the Pacers.
“Nobody has any bigger expectations, first of all, than I do. I mean, my expectations are high,” Brown expressed. “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.”
Mike was finally hired just a little over a month since Thibodeau’s surprising dismissal, which happened after the Knicks reach the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years. However, the new coach in town wasn’t willing to talk too much about this, or the reasons behind the decision.
“First of all, Tom’s a tremendous coach and he is a friend of mine, but I don’t want to get to the past,” the 55-year-old assured. “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 New York club posted an incredible 51-31 record last regular season and have consolidated one of the best starting fives in the NBA, including All-NBA stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson. You could even say they should start next campaign as one of the title-contenders in the East.
“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 shared. “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.”
