The Knicks-Nets rivalry took on new which means Sunday as Jordi Fernández went head-to-head along with his longtime mentor, Mike Brown, for the primary time since Brown took over as Knicks head coach. Their relationship stretches again greater than a decade, however on this evening, Fernández was centered on how Brown has reshaped the Knicks’ model of play.
The Nets entered Sunday nonetheless trying to find their second win of the season, enjoying with out main scorer Cam Thomas, whereas the Knicks aimed for his or her fourth straight victory at Madison Sq. Backyard.
“I think in the last five games they’re the No. 2 offense, overall 4th, so from that end of the floor early in the season, they’ve been pretty efficient,” Fernández stated of the Brown-led Knicks. “They’re a team that plays at both ends very physical, they rank high defensively, too, still trying to figure out things but there’s not too much I can say just from watching them on film. Obviously, a lot of talent, a lot of size, and they’re buying into shooting the ball which we all know that’s efficient, a lot of guys who shoot 3s. We have to be ready for that.”
Brown, a two-time NBA Coach of the 12 months, was employed to switch Tom Thibodeau in June after Thibodeau led the Knicks to their first Jap Convention Finals look since 2000. He and Fernández share a long-standing bond that dates again to Fernández’s early days as a younger coach.
Fernández has known as Brown his “American basketball father” and says their connection extends properly past basketball.
“I wouldn’t be here without Mike Brown,” Fernández stated. “That’s all I can say. A lot of love as a person, coach, mentor and today is a special game but at the same time it’s just a game where we’ll try to go out there play really hard and try to beat them, and I’m pretty sure they’ll try to do the same thing.”
Fernández skilled Brown’s son, Elijah, whereas working as a participant growth intern at IMPACT Basketball in Las Vegas. On the time, Brown was the pinnacle coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he later employed Fernández as a participant growth coach, launching his NBA profession.
After six seasons as an assistant with the Denver Nuggets, Fernández reunited with Brown as affiliate head coach of the Sacramento Kings from 2022 to 2024. The 2 additionally labored along with the Nigerian nationwide workforce.
Fernández had confronted Brown solely as soon as as an NBA head coach coming into Sunday, a 108-103 Nets win in Sacramento on Nov. 24 of final season. By the point the Kings visited Brooklyn on Jan. 27, Brown had already been dismissed after a 13-18 begin. Now, with each main groups in New York, they’ll see one another on reverse sidelines a minimum of 4 occasions a 12 months.
“It’s great. I’m just happy for him and his family; he’s got a lovely family,” Brown stated. “Great young coach. He’s got a young team obviously, so they’ve got to figure some things out. Any time I get a chance to see him, I always love to see him. But I want to kick his ass.”
