Mike Brown Lists NBA Greats Who Reached Out After Knicks Championship

The historic magnitude of the New York Knicks' 2026 championship cannot be overstated. With a team as scrappy and connected as the Knicks were performing the way that they did, they set not just the NBA world, but the sports world as a whole on fire. 

With the Knicks' achievement speaking so loudly, it's natural that the players and coaches that made it happen would receive major recognition, especially considering that for most of them, success at this level is something they were mostly unfamiliar with.

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Guard Jalen Brunson recently spoke about receiving praise from NBA greats like LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo for what he helped the Knicks do during the championship run. During head coach Mike Brown's media session, he too shared the kind of notable figures in the NBA coaching world that reached out to him with congratulations.

New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown runs past the crowd during the New York Knicks Championship Parade through the Canyon of Heroes. Brenden Willsch-Imagn ImagesWho Reached Out?

Brown said that coaching legends like Gregg Popovich, Steve Kerr, Bernie Bickerstaff and Rick Carlisle all reached out to him after the championship, as well as several players that Brown has worked with in his career as both an assistant and head coach in the NBA. 

With how close of a club NBA coaches are, there's a certain kind of relationship where these coaches, who are competing against each other throughout most of the season, often find themselves rooting for each other when they aren't squared off on either side of the same court. 

 New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown speaks to the media after the Knicks defeat the San Antonio Spurs during game five of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Brown remarked how interesting and special it was for coaches who he described as "raising him" in the NBA to reach out congratulate him for entering into the championship circle. 

Kerr's Relationship with Brown

Kerr's praise carries a different kind of meaning. Kerr didn't "raise" Brown in coaching, rather Brown worked under him as an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors from 2016-22 and in that time afforded Brown the opportunity to get back into head coaching. 

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr (left) laughs with Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown (right) before the game at Chase Center. Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Brown took over as interim head coach of the Warriors for Kerr several times during his time in the Bay, like when he took over for Kerr during the 2017 NBA playoffs when Kerr was sidelined with chronic back pain and again during the 2022 Western Conference Finals when Kerr tested positive for COVID-19. 

Those stints in the head coaching chair did a long way in restoring legitimacy to Brown's coaching resume, leading into his time as head coach of the Sacramento Kings and later, the champion Knicks. 

Brown has steadily built up an impressive coaching resume and now that the spotlight of a championship has shined upon him, he's receiving the recognition that for years he's been working toward.

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