Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown has been hit with a $35,000 fine by the NBA for his aggressive behavior towards a game official during the Kings' 108-103 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, November 24. The incident occurred after Brown became incensed over a non-call following a drive to the basket by Kings player Colby Jones in the second quarter. Despite his outburst, Brown was only assessed a technical foul, avoiding an ejection or suspension.
"Nov. 26, 2024 - Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown has been fined $35,000 for aggressively pursuing a game official during live play, it was announced today by Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations. Brown's actions took place during the Kings' 108-103 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 24 at Golden 1 Center," said NBA in their release.
Brown’s Aggressive Reaction to Non-Call
During the game, the Kings were trailing the Nets and felt that Jones had been fouled during a drive to the rim, but no foul was called by the referees. In response, Brown aggressively charged towards the officials to express his frustration. Although the referees did not eject Brown from the game, they did assess him with a technical foul for his actions.
Afterward, Brown explained his conduct in the postgame press conference, saying, "I thought Colby got hit going to the rim. I just wanted to show our guys that, 'Hey, we all need to fight.' I'm [going to] try to fight, you guys try to fight, and see if we can find a way to get ourselves into the game and, you know, if we're going to go down, we're going to go down swinging." His fiery response was part of his effort to energize his team, which had been struggling throughout the game.
A Pattern of Disciplinary Actions
This is not the first time Mike Brown has been fined or punished for his behavior towards officials. In January 2024, he was fined $50,000 after an incident where he entered the court during a game against the Milwaukee Bucks, yelling at referee Intae Hwang, which led to his ejection. Brown later used a laptop during a postgame press conference to display his grievances about the officiating.
In 2012, while coaching the Los Angeles Lakers, Brown was fined $25,000 and suspended for one game without pay for making physical contact with a referee. Despite these past incidents, Brown's career as an NBA head coach has been marked by success, with a 449-296 record and two NBA Coach of the Year awards.
The Kings' Struggles and Expectations for 2024-25
The fine comes at a challenging time for Brown and the Kings, who have struggled early in the 2024-25 season. With a record of 8-10, the Kings have now lost four straight games, adding to the pressure on Brown and the team. Sacramento entered the season with high expectations after acquiring six-time NBA All-Star DeMar DeRozan in the offseason, hoping to build on the success of their past two seasons, where they secured 48 and 46 wins, respectively. However, the Kings have yet to find consistency in the early part of the season, with their recent losing streak placing added scrutiny on Brown’s leadership.
Despite the Kings’ struggles, Brown remains under contract through the 2026-27 season after signing a three-year, $30 million extension during the offseason. While his job is not immediately at risk, the team’s performance moving forward will be critical to maintaining the confidence of ownership and the fanbase.
A Generous Fine for Brown’s Actions
Given the circumstances of the incident, many observers feel that the NBA’s decision to fine Brown $35,000 and assess only a technical foul was relatively lenient. While his actions towards the referee were aggressive, they did not escalate to a level that warranted an ejection or suspension. In many ways, the fine reflects the league’s attempt to hold coaches accountable for their conduct without disrupting the flow of the game unduly.
The Kings will now look to bounce back from their recent struggles as they continue their season, with Mike Brown at the helm, eager to turn the team’s fortunes around and prove that Sacramento’s high expectations for 2024-25 are not misplaced.
