(KTXL) — After leading the Sacramento Kings to its first playoffs in almost 17 years, head coach Mike Brown has been voted as the 2023 Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year.
The National Basketball Coaches Association made the announcement Thursday afternoon, just about 48 hours from the tipoff of the Kings’ first playoff game of their series against the Golden State Warriors in Sacramento.
The recognition is presented every year to “a Head Coach who helps guide his players to a higher level of performance on the court and shows outstanding service and dedication to the community off the court,” according to a statement from the NBCA.
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The award is voted upon by all 30 head coaches of the NBA.
“Receiving this award from my peers is especially meaningful and an honor that I truly embrace,” said Sacramento Kings Head Coach Mike Brown in a statement issued by the NBCA.
“This award is incredibly special in my first year with the Kings. It is a reflection of the caliber of men that Monte McNair and Wes Wilcox have assembled and who I have absolutely loved coaching,” the statement continues.
According to the Sacramento Kings, Brown is the first Kings coach to win the award.
Before the 2022-23 season, the Kings had the longest playoff drought in NBA history at 16 seasons and the longest active non-playoff streak in North American professional sports.
The Kings finished the season with the third-best record in the Western Conference at 48-34. Along with breaking their playoff drought, the Kings captured their first Pacific Division title since 2003.
The Kings are in the playoffs for the 11th time in 38 years since the franchise relocated to Sacramento from Kansas City in 1985.
Brown is the favorite to win the NBA Coach of the Year Award, which will get announced later during the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
Game 1 of the Kings’ first-round series against the Warriors is set for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff from the Golden 1 Center on Saturday.
