The Kings fired head coach Mike Brown following a 13-18 start to the 2024-25 NBA season, according to ESPN.
This decision follows a devastating 114-113 home loss to the Pistons on Thursday in which the Kings led by 10 points with just under three minutes remaining before collapsing.
It marked the Kings’ fifth consecutive defeat, the longest such streak since Brown took over the Kings in 2022.
All five losses occurred at home in Sacramento.
Brown, 54, was instrumental in ending the Kings’ 16-year playoff drought during the 2022-23 season.
He earned himself NBA Coach of the Year honors, becoming the first unanimous winner of the award after the team went 48-34 and finished third in the Western Conference.
Despite the early success, the current Kings season has been marred by inconsistency and underperformance.
The recent string of home losses, culminating in the collapse against Detroit, appears to have been the tipping point for the organization’s higher-ups.
The Kings have not yet announced detailed plans for a permanent replacement, but Doug Christie will reportedly take over as the interim head coach.
Christie has been a Kings assistant since 2021 after playing in the NBA from 1992-2007, notably starring for the Kings during their last run as contenders and starting every game from 2000-05.
Brown, a two-time Coach of the Year winner, also led the Cavaliers (2005-10, 13-14) and Lakers (2011-13).