NEW YORK _ Warriors associate head coach Mike Brown has agreed to become the head coach of the Nigerian men's basketball team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, per an ESPN report.
According to ESPN's Marc Spears, Nigeria Basketball president Musa Kida had been seeking a coach with an NBA background. Brown spent eight years as head coach for the Cavaliers and Lakers before getting hired to Steve Kerr's staff in 2016.
Brown and the LeBron James-led Cavaliers reached the NBA Finals in 2007, when they were swept by the Spurs. Brown was named NBA Coach of the Year in 2009 after coaching the Cavaliers to a 66-16 record.
He was fired in Cleveland after the 2010 season ahead of James' free agency. He coached just over one lockout-shortened season from 2011-2012 for the Lakers.
Nigeria competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, where they finished group play with a 1-4 record. Their victory against Tunisia was their first-ever Olympic win.
In 2012, Nigeria became the only African nation to ever qualify for the Summer Olympics through the FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament. In 2015, Nigeria won its first basketball championship of Africa. Since the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Nigeria has been ranked 16th in the FIBA world rankings.
