The Kings hiring Warriors assistant coaches, it’s a tale as old as time.
In fact, Sacramento dismissed two former Warriors assistant coaches just this season. First it was head coach Luke Walton, who was fired mid-season after posting losing records in his previous two years at the helm. Then former Warriors assistant Alvin Gentry was told he would not be retained for next season after taking over as the interim coach following Walton’s firing.
If it’s broken, don’t fix it apparently. The Kings are going to look at two current Warriors assistants in their next coaching search according to The Athletic, in Mike Brown and Kenny Atkinson. Longtime NBA head coach and current Brooklyn consultant Steve Clifford is also among the candidates.
Both Atkinson and Brown are former head coaches. Atkinson recently had success as the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, taking them to playoffs in 2018-19 before resigning following the 2019-20 season. Brown hasn’t been a head coach since 2013-14 with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Brown was named as the NBA Coach of the Year in 2009 during his first stint with the Cavs from 2005-2010. Brown has been with the Warriors since 2016.
In addition to Gentry and Walton, recent former Kings head coaches George Karl, Michael Malone, Keith Smart and Eric Musselman all spent time on the Warriors’ bench.