Mike Brown, soon to be named the head coach of the New York Knicks, has a unique pregame ritual involving his own iron.
NBA insider Brian Windhorst revealed on The Hoop Collective podcast, via HoopsHype, “He, for years, used to bring his own iron on the road. He had this thing where he would iron — he would bring an ironing board too — because he had a specific ironing board.”
Brown personally irons his shirt before every game, setting up the ironing board in the coach’s office as part of a calming routine.
Windhorst added, “It was like a zen thing for him — a routine to clear his mind before going out to the game.”
Jordi Fernandez, now head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, was responsible for packing Brown’s iron during his time as an assistant with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Fernandez was the lowest-ranked staffer on the Cavaliers’ coaching staff and acted as Brown’s gopher, handling various tasks including preparing Brown’s ironing equipment.
Windhorst said, “Jordi Fernandez was kind of like… I don’t know what his role officially was, but he was basically Mike Brown’s gopher.”
Fernandez had recently arrived from Spain and was looking to establish himself in the NBA when he took on this role.
Brown’s ironing routine helps reveal the behind-the-scenes details of coaching life and highlights Fernandez’s early NBA journey.
Brown is set to replace Tom Thibodeau as Knicks head coach, bringing his experience and unique habits to New York.
Meanwhile, Fernandez has completed his first NBA season as Brooklyn’s head coach, marking a quick rise in his coaching career.
