Doug Christie coaching Kings for remainder of season

“He’s just very good at what he does, in my opinion, one of the best. I would not be here without him,” Fernandez, who served as Brown’s associate head coach from 2022-24, said before the Nets’ 96-87 loss to the Spurs at Barclays Center. “Obviously, to me, it’s really sad news, and I don’t like it. It’s part of the business. Things can go one way, where you think about a year and a half ago, he’s Coach of the Year, and now this situation happens. “So I wasn’t there in the last few weeks, months, but Mike means a lot to me. Mike is, like I said, one of the best. And seeing this is something that, as we can all say, part of the business. But me, personally, I don’t like it.” -via New York Post / December 29, 2024

But just like they found a way on Christmas with Anthony Davis out because of an ankle injury, the Lakers did it again Saturday in a 132-122 win, spoiling former Laker (and rival) Doug Christie’s first game as interim Kings coach. “I think it is growth,” Austin Reaves said of the Lakers’ energy. “You can see the growth throughout our group.” -via Los Angeles Times / December 29, 2024

But team sources insisted the decision to fire Brown was McNair’s. The organization is choosing to back the front office of McNair and Wilcox, who are still considered safe amid all this Kings struggle. The roster’s depth has eroded the last two seasons, forcing Brown to search a rotation that hasn’t always had answers. It’s a weakness the front office acknowledges and is still attempting to remedy by the Feb. 6 trade deadline. “This was a difficult decision and I want to thank Mike for his many contributions to the organization,” McNair said in a late Friday news release. -via New York Times / December 29, 2024