Brown bloomed from the Gregg Popovich tree in San Antonio, winning titles as an assistant with the Spurs and then under another Pop disciple, Steve Kerr, in Golden State. As a head coach, Brown was less successful in the playoffs. His only Finals appearance was nearly 20 years ago with the Cavs, when James carried an overmatched ragtag group into a 2007 series against the Spurs.
Brown flamed out quickly in subsequent stops, notably lasting only 71 games with the Lakers as Phil Jackson’s replacement. More recently, Brown guided the Kings to their first playoff appearance in 18 years. He cultivated a high-octane offense behind De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, demonstrating his versatility as a coach after being labeled defensive-minded earlier in his career. But Brown was fired less than two years later — the fourth time he was canned as a head coach.