Just 31 games into the season, the Sacramento Kings dropped a bombshell. Mike Brown is fired. Not just fans but also players, including Malik Monk, have expressed their disappointment. Former NBA player Metta World Peace also took to social media to thank the head coach for his work. Apart from that, the basketball legend wrote another enigmatic message on X. Was he trying to present his pitch?

In his X post, MWP seemingly hinted that he prefers the role of a head coach. However, to not give away everything, he also added that he feels his experience has prepared him for other leadership roles too. According to the LA Lakers legend, these would include the positions of  a general manager, president, or athletic director. Is he hinting at his interest in taking up the open coaching position?

“I much rather head coach, but my preparation over the last ten years lends itself to being a GM or president and even an athletic director and head coach. I’ve been working hard to be ready for anything.  #teamNonaps,” he wrote on X.

The Kings started the season 13–18. Their loss against Detroit was their fifth consecutive defeat, which ultimately might have triggered the decision. And this was quite big. After his dismissal, Doug Christie is set to be the interim head coach. He coached the team for their matchup against arch-rivals, the Lakers. While he was looking forward to breaking the 5-game losing streak, he couldn’t.

Brown was named the NBA Coach of the Year unanimously in 2023. He broke a years-long drought and took the Sacramento Kings to the playoffs. In fact, ever since his joining the franchise in 2022, the Kings had a better overall record of above .500 than in the last few years.

MWP also praised Brown. “Great job in an amazing head coaching career to coach Mike Brown. Good luck in the future. This was Coach Brown’s third season with the Kings, and, as mentioned, many weren’t too happy about the update.

NBA opens up about the exit of Coach Mike Brown 

Brown was informed of the layover on his way to the airport to head to Los Angeles over a phone call. Many, including Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, found the decision very shocking.

Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone, who was fired by the Kings in 2014 during his second season as a coach, didn’t take it lightly. “At first I was really shocked and surprised. Then I caught myself. I said, why am I shocked and surprised? [I’m not] for two reasons. One, because as an NBA head coach, ultimately, you’re going to get the blame. When [the Kings’ win, [the credit is] gonna go to Fox and Sabonis, and when [they] lose, the [blame] is gonna go to Mike Brown. That’s the way it works,” Malone said.

Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox also expressed their gratitude to Brown for his contributions. Per ESPN, Fox mentioned how things ended with Brown, “I wouldn’t use the word ‘guilt.’ That’s the nature of the job that we have. Obviously him signing his extension this summer, we thought we would be together a whole lot longer. But that’s the decision that they made. But at the end of the day too, he’s still getting paid. A great part of being an NBA player, being an NBA coach is those things can happen, but contracts are guaranteed.”

Sabonis too was shook but accepted the fate of being in this business, “He trusted me in my career,” Sabonis said. “He put me in a position to succeed and gave me a lot of confidence. He’s helped me for my career in the NBA. It’s just part of the business, you know, things happen that way.”

However, right now, the question is who would take up this role? Sam Cassell is one of the most promising talents who could lead the Kings. He has vast experience and won an NBA title with the Boston Celtics as a coach.

However, Coach Christie himself might be a good choice for Sacramento. However, the doubt still hangs as the Kings lost 132-122 against the Lakers.