Remember Last Summer When NOBODY Wanted to Coach the Knicks?? Mike Brown Does

Mike Brown took the Knicks head coaching job that, last summer, nobody else wanted, and Rich's point is that the willingness alone has already made him a New York favorite.

"When he became the coach it's go sort of like, really?" Rich said, recalling the reaction. Then came the line that frames the whole thing: "Nobody wanted that job." Brown's answer, as Rich tells it, was simple. "He's like, I'll take it."

That is the story Rich keeps coming back to. Not the resume, not the system, just the fact that the chair sat open and Brown sat down in it.

"I just love this guy and what he's doing right now," Rich said. He attached it to something New York fans understand at a cellular level. "Obviously, we New York fans love winners. Like most towns."

Rich reached for a comp that lands hard in his city, the Yankees hiring a manager nobody was sure about. "When they hired Joe Torre a lot of Yankee fans were like, really this guy? He's What's he Where's he won?" Rich said, doing the skeptic's voice. "Unreal. Unbelievable." The implication is obvious. The doubted hire can become the beloved one fast, and Brown is already on that path.

The clip the show aired had Brown talking about exactly the trait that wins over a crowd like New York. "You talk about a total team effort when we hit adversity," Brown said. "And that's all we've talked about all year. Hitting adversity, hitting adversity, hitting adversity. I embrace it through the year."

Brown framed the whole season as a test of connection. "We have to see if we're connected enough for moments like this. And our guys showed their resiliency and showed they're connected enough to handle a moment like that."

He also kept his feet on the ground. "The series isn't over. It's going to be tough down in San Antonio. But I applaud all my guys and all my coaches for trying to find a way."

That is the one-year-later answer in full. The job was a punchline last summer, the guy who took it is now the guy Rich is championing on air, and the only thing left is for everyone to enjoy it. "Orange and blue skies, baby," Rich said. "Orange and blue skies."