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Golden State Warriors assistant coach Mike Brown is heading to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. Brown, who is in his fourth year on the Warriors sideline, has accepted a position as the head coach of Nigeria’s men’s team for the upcoming summer games.
The news was first reported by Marc J. Spears.
Warriors associate head coach Mike Brown has agreed to terms to be the next head coach of the Nigerian men’s basketball team during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, @espn @TheUndefeated has learned. Nigeria BB president Musa Kida was seeking a high-profile coach with an NBA background.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpearsESPN) February 4, 2020
Brown represents the big name and top basketball mind that Nigeria was seeking. Nigeria’s team, while not a championship contender, has a fair amount of talent, and this could be a big step forward for them in international competition.
For anybody that doesn't follow international hoops, this probably takes this team up a notch.
— Dave DuFour (@DaveDuFourNBA) February 4, 2020
Nigeria is currently ranked 23rd in the world.
Could see this as a precursor to a good Olympic showing. https://t.co/ifsueuz94R
While rosters for the Olympcis aren’t set yet, Nigeria’s roster in the 2019 FIBA World Cup had some notable names, including current NBA players Josh Okogie (Minnesota Timberwolves), Chimezie Metu (San Antonio Spurs), Al-Farouq Aminu (Orlando Magic), and Gabe Vincent (Miami Heat). Their roster also featured former Warriors lottery picks Ike Diogu and Ekpe Udoh.
So while Brown won’t be coaching the star-studded United States squad, he’ll certainly have a good amount of talent around him as he makes his Olympic coaching debut.
It’s an exciting return to head coaching for Brown, who, prior to joining the Warriors was the head coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers on two separate occasions, bookending a stint as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
And he may run up against some familiar faces. The man he works for, Steve Kerr, will also be in the 2020 Olympics, as an assistant coach for Gregg Popovich for Team USA. The American national team has yet to be finalized, but currently Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson are all on the national team roster, and have all expressed a desire to play in the Olympics.
So it’s safe to say there will be quite a few Warriors connections in Tokyo.
According to an article by Spears on ESPN, the Warriors are giving Brown and the Nigerian team full access to their renovated East Bay training facilities.