The Los Angeles Lakers are known for their low tolerance for failure, especially when it comes to their head coaches. In recent years, they’ve shown a pattern of quick dismissals, such as firing Durbin Hamm just two seasons after his hiring—even though he led the team to the Western Conference Finals in one of those years. Similarly, the Lakers have not been hesitant to replace coaches who don’t meet expectations, excluding current New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown from this list of rapid turnovers.
Notably, NBA insider Shams Charania highlighted concerns about Brown’s fit with the Lakers back in 2011. Before joining LA, Brown had five years of head coaching experience with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers but was fired in 2010 for failing to reach the NBA Finals despite having LeBron on the roster. This blemish cast doubt on Brown’s capabilities when the Lakers hired him as a replacement for the legendary Phil Jackson. Charania even suggested that if he were Kobe Bryant, he would be wary of Brown’s hiring—a prediction that has since proved accurate.
When Brown took over in LA, Kobe Bryant was still the team’s star. Although the Lakers had won consecutive NBA titles in 2009 and 2010, they were ousted in the second round of the 2011 playoffs. Jackson’s departure created a tough void, and while the Lakers believed Brown was the right successor, it didn’t work out. Brown’s first season ended with a solid 41-25 record and a third-seed playoff position, but the team lost again in the second round to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Ahead of the 2012 season, the Lakers bolstered their roster by adding Steve Nash and Dwight Howard, raising expectations to championship levels. Instead, they stumbled out of the gate with a poor 1-4 start, prompting the Lakers to swiftly fire Brown—a rare second firing within two years.
As Brown now coaches the Knicks in 2025, the trust invested in him may be optimistic. Given his history, Knicks fans might want to manage their expectations until proven otherwise.
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Fan Take: This story serves as a cautionary tale about the high stakes of coaching elite NBA teams and the challenges of living up to legendary predecessors. For basketball fans, it underscores how coaching decisions can make or break a franchise’s success and impact the league’s competitive balance.
