Overview
- De’Aaron Fox is a Spurs guard and Mike Brown is the Knicks head coach who will meet in the 2026 NBA Finals after leaving the Sacramento Kings.
- The Kings’ brief revival came in 2022–23 when the Sabonis–Fox pairing and Brown’s coaching produced a third-place Western Conference finish and a seven‑game series versus the Warriors.
- Brown was fired during a losing stretch in late 2024 in a move that drew public criticism from coaches such as Steve Kerr and Michael Malone and prompted scrutiny of how the team handled the split.
- Fox says Sacramento’s front office scapegoated him after Brown’s exit, and the organization’s later signings and trades, including DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Russell Westbrook, failed as the Kings finished with 22 wins and 12th place in the West.
- The Finals have renewed attention on owner Vivek Ranadivé’s hands‑on decisions and on whether the Kings can rebuild credibility with better drafting, clearer front‑office strategy, and firmer support for coaches and players.