The Sacramento Kings’ decision to fire Mike Brown didn’t make sense to many. Two years ago, he was named Coach of The Year after breaking their postseason deadlock. Then in the following season, he was awarded an extension, signaling the trust the franchise held in him. However, after a 13-18 start, a phone call after practice marked the end of his tenure. Speculations have been floating around about why the Kings decided to abruptly fire their coach. And Lou Williams has some inside scoop.

According to the former Clippers Sixth Man, Brown ‘lost the locker room’ this season. It came by the way of multiple actions the revered coach decided to take. “De’Aaron Fox was being continuously singled out you know whether it was publicly or behind the scenes,” he pointed out.

The most prominent of Brown scrutinizing the franchise ace came during the Kings’ disappointing loss to the Pistons. Fox fouled Jaden Ivey as he made the triple, the additional free throw giving Detroit the win. Mike Brown then dug into the spectacular guard. “I need to go back and watch the film and see exactly where Fox was but there was no reason for there to be a hard closeout. We were O.K. with them scoring a two at the rim, so you should not be in position to help at all,” he said in his scathing press conference.

But that’s not the end of it all. Another “severe misstep” the coach apparently took is to suggest DeMar DeRozan to be a part of the second unit. “I was even hearing whispers where he may have even asked or suggested that DeMar DeRozan come off the bench,” Williams said on Run It Back. 

As the star signing aimed to propel the Kings in their pursuit to return to the playoffs, such a bold suggestion can surely deter an organization’s faith. However, there is still no certainty on whether any of this took place. But if Lou Williams’ sources are accurate, Mike Brown’s downfall within the locker room is not just understandable but also shocking.

A look back at Mike Brown’s tenure with the Kings

Brown arrived in Sacramento as a well-acclaimed coach. He was a former COTY when at the helm of the Cleveland Cavaliers with LeBron James. Moreover, he also played an integral part in the Warriors dynasty, working as an assistant to Steve Kerr. Hence, as far as the man for the project, the 54-year-old had the accolades to take charge of the young and enticing the Kings team.

And it didn’t take long for him to make a revolutionary impact.

In his first year, Brown made Fox and Domantas Sabonis the cornerstones of the offense. It led to the Kings having the best offense in 2022-23, paving the way for the former Cavs coach to be a unanimous COTY. Furthermore, his breaking the playoff drought the Kings had for 16 years added to his impact.

The players too loved the way he coached. Notably, until a month prior to his firing, De’Aaron Fox and DeMar DeRozan both supported his open accountability methods. “We need that… You need your coach to be able to hold guys accountable… Being able to hit adversity early in the season can be good for us,” Fox mentioned on Run It Back early in December.

It just seems the crossroads both parties hit exceeded the lines. Fox, however, doesn’t feel guilty or take the blame for the decision. For Mike Brown, he led the team to a 107-88 record in his time as the head coach. The change in dynamics could have been difficult to adjust to, leading to him being relieved of his duties.

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