Karl-Anthony Towns and the New York Knicks are preparing for a new era as Mike Brown takes over the role of head coach starting with the 2025-26 <a href="https://www.buzzineintl.com/category/basketball/nba/”>NBA season. This change follows the team’s deep playoff run but a decision by the Knicks’ front office to shift direction in pursuit of a championship.
After six seasons under Tom Thibodeau, who helped restore the Knicks to playoff prominence, the organization chose to part ways with him despite reaching the Eastern Conference Finals—their best postseason showing since 2000. The front office believes new leadership is necessary to push the franchise to the next level.
Karl-Anthony Towns Shares His First Impressions of Mike Brown
On August 18, Towns spoke on the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast about his initial meeting with Mike Brown, emphasizing a positive outlook toward the team’s future. Although they had been in the league during overlapping years, this was their first direct conversation.
“I just came from having a two-hour dinner with Mike Brown to here. So, I literally came straight from there to here. We never actually had a conversation with each other. So, that was the first time we actually met. We actually got to speak, talk about the team, you know, get to actually know each other,”
Towns said at the 10:22 mark.
“When you get into this, we have a chance to win a championship and it’s only going to really happen if everyone’s connected and everyone has to be fully invested into each other and into our goals. So, kind of just really getting to know him, getting to know him, his people, you know, the way he likes to play basketball, the way he wants to coach, the way he wants to operate practices and everything.”
Unexpected Beginnings Between Towns and Brown Despite Long Careers
It might be surprising that Towns and Brown, both longstanding figures in the NBA, had never spoken before now. Towns entered the league in 2015, while Brown’s coaching career dates back to 1997. Brown was an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors under Steve Kerr from 2016 to 2022, overlapping with Towns’s time in the league but never crossing paths professionally until their Knicks connection.
Brown’s head coaching journey included leading the Sacramento Kings from 2022 to 2024, where he ended a 15-year playoff drought for the team by making the postseason in 2023. For his efforts, Brown earned the NBA Coach of the Year award that season.
Mike Brown’s Championship Experience Offers Promise for the Knicks
Brown’s time as an assistant on the Warriors staff brought four NBA titles, three of which came during the championship runs in 2017, 2018, and 2022. This experience working alongside the Warriors’ core under Kerr provides Brown with valuable insight that could benefit the Knicks as they aim for a title.
The Knicks have similarly made key roster moves aimed at increasing depth, adding players like Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele to enhance scoring, rebounding, and playmaking off the bench. These adjustments reflect the franchise’s ambition to strengthen their championship contention in the 2025-26 season.
Looking Forward: The Knicks’ Upcoming Season Schedule and Goals
The Knicks will open their preseason at home against the Philadelphia 76ers, setting the stage for what they hope will be a breakthrough year. Their regular season will begin on October 22 with a home game versus the Cleveland Cavaliers, signaling the start of this new chapter under Brown’s leadership.
As Towns and his teammates prepare to pursue their goals with renewed focus, the partnership between him and Mike Brown will be central to the Knicks’ quest for success. Their initial meeting marked the beginning of a collaborative effort aimed at realizing the franchise’s championship aspirations.