Mike Brown coaches the New York Knicks. Jordi Fernandez leads the Brooklyn Nets. The two men met in 2009 and built a close friendship over the years. Now they face each other as rivals in New York City. Their story started far from here, in Las Vegas, and it has shaped both their paths in basketball.
Background
Back in 2009, Mike Brown ran the Cleveland Cavaliers as head coach. He went to a basketball academy in Las Vegas called Impact Basketball. There he saw Jordi Fernandez working with players. Fernandez came from Spain and brought ways of training from Europe. Brown liked how Fernandez connected with young players during skills work.
Brown did not wait long. He set up an internship for Fernandez with the Cavaliers in Ohio. He also paid Fernandez to train his teenage son, Elijah. Fernandez moved to Cleveland. Brown helped him settle in. He gave Fernandez a car to use, a gas card, and paid for his room. Fernandez ate most meals at the team's practice facility. He felt like part of the Brown family.
Fernandez stayed with the Cavaliers even after Brown left in 2010. The team saw his skill with players and kept him on staff. He worked under coach Byron Scott for three years. Fernandez built ties with players like Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson.
In 2013, Cleveland brought Brown back as head coach. Fernandez hoped to join his staff. He had more experience by then and could afford his own meals. But the team made other choices. They sent Fernandez to the G League team, the Canton Charge. He took an assistant coach job there. It meant a move over an hour away from Cleveland.
This came at a hard time for Fernandez. He had just started dating his girlfriend, Kelsey. She lived in Cleveland and thought he coached for the main Cavs team. He had to tell her about the Canton job. It strained things for a bit. But Fernandez took the role. It changed his career. He got more duties and learned a lot. He worked with Steve Hetzel, who got the head job there. Hetzel now assists Fernandez in Brooklyn.
Fernandez kept growing. He coached Team Nigeria with Brown. He became head coach for Canada's national team. In 2023, he led them to bronze at the World Cup. That was Canada's first medal there.
Brown moved around too. He coached in Los Angeles and Sacramento. In Sacramento, Fernandez joined him as associate head coach from 2022 to 2024. Last summer, Brown got the Knicks job. Fernandez took the Nets head coach spot.
Key Details
The two coaches talked a lot during Brown's Knicks interview. Fernandez gave advice as a friend. They still share personal thoughts. Fernandez calls Brown when he needs to talk something through.
New York brings them close again. But the teams live in different worlds. Knicks owner James Dolan wants a Finals run. He said the team must get there and should win it.
The Nets focus on the future. General manager Sean Marks traded for draft picks two years ago. The goal is better picks in 2025 and 2026. Scouts noted when the Nets won six of nine games lately. They joked Fernandez did too well for a rebuild.
Media pressure hits the Knicks harder. Fernandez said that. He noted Brown handles it well.
"The New York media treats the Knicks a little differently than the Nets," Fernandez said. "Mike's got a different level of pressure. But one thing about him, he's always up for the challenge."
They plan a double date soon. Fernandez wants Brown to visit Brooklyn. But not on game night. Wednesday they play at Madison Square Garden.
How They Met and Grew
Brown saw Fernandez in Vegas right away. Fernandez trained Elijah Brown there. Brown set up the internship fast. He said he gave Fernandez a chance. But Fernandez made the most of it.
In Cleveland, Fernandez lived simply at first. Brown helped with basics. Over time, Fernandez earned more. His role grew. The G League stop hurt at first but helped long term.
Brown praised Fernandez's work with the Nets. He said Fernandez has a young team in rebuild. But they play hard and grow.
"To be able to see him sitting in that seat in Brooklyn while I'm in New York, it's surreal." – Mike Brown
Fernandez credits Brown for his start. Brown brought him from Spain to the U.S. He hired him in Sacramento too. Their tie goes beyond jobs.
What This Means
Brown and Fernandez show how mentorship lasts in coaching. Their paths crossed many times. From internship to head jobs in the same city. It stands out in a sport full of rivals.
For the Knicks, Brown brings defense focus. He won 272 games in five Cleveland seasons before. Dolan sets high goals. Pressure comes with that.
The Nets build for drafts. Fernandez gets praise for last season's start. They went 9-10 early then 26-56 overall. Defense improved lately.
Their game adds a layer to the Knicks-Nets matchup. Friends on sidelines. But each wants to win. Brown said he loves seeing Fernandez but wants to beat him.
Brown called it great to coach against him. He is happy for Fernandez and his family. Fernandez has a wife and two kids now.
This matchup tests their bond. Off court, they stay close. They plan dinners. On court, business rules. It shows respect can live with competition.
New York basketball gets this story. Two coaches who started together now lead crosstown teams. Their history adds depth to every play between Knicks and Nets.
