Mike Brown: Coaching path since last NBA Finals has shaped my career
The New York head coach spoke ahead of Wednesday night’s Game 1 of the NBA Finals — and reflected on his last appearance in the championship series, also against the Spurs.
Video Transcript
I, I know it's been half a lifetime since the last time you were a head coach in the finals, but when you look back at your journey, how much maybe did you need to go through that and the lessons that came?
How do you, how do you think that helped shape the next 20 years of your coaching life, or 19, I guess, of your coaching life?
Everything.
I, you know, I'm a firm believer that, you know, stuff happens for a reason.
And, I, I mean, I, I, I've enjoyed every single job that I've had.
my time as an assistant, under Steve, that was fantastic for a lot of reasons, not just professionally, but, personally too.
I had a, an absolute great time, you know, being an assistant coach in, in, in San Francisco, under Steve, so, and, and then with those players.
So, learned a lot of life lessons and professional lessons doing it.
obviously, you know, anybody would that was a head coach would want to be a head coach for 30 years until they retire.
the pay is a little different.
but at, at the end of the day, I wouldn't trade, anything that, that I went through along my journey for just being a head coach the whole time, because, you know, I truly believe this, you, you learn probably more in adversity or getting knocked down than just riding a high wave.
And so, again, not just professionally, but personally too.
So, so I, again, I enjoyed my journey, and I wouldn't change it.
Pop's influence, what you learned here in your short term, short time here from Pop has carried you through your career.
How much of that?
Man, it, there's a ton, there's a ton on the court.
There's a ton off the court.
he was very influential, in my life at the time, not just professionally, but personally as well.
you know, the biggest thing is just to stay the course, keep trying to grow and keep trying to learn, and, make sure you try to keep everybody, not just your, you know, 15 or 18 players, but however many players you have and everybody in the organization, and around the city, try to keep them as connected as possible.
