The firing of Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown initially came as a surprise to Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone—as it did for much of the NBA world.

The Sacramento Kings fired Mike Brown on Friday. He was just 31 games into his third season as head coach, and just two years removed from being named Coach of the Year after ending Sacramento's 16-season playoff drought -- as a No.

DENVER — Kenny Atkinson and Michael Malone have both been there before. Atkinson, now overseeing the Cavs’ record-setting start, was once fired by the Brooklyn Nets despite racking up third-most victories in franchise history during his tenure.