Mike Brown is perceived in a variety of ways. Many believe he was carried by LeBron James. Others highlight the role he played in helping the Cleveland Cavaliers reach the 2007 NBA Finals, while also crediting him for briefly reviving the Sacramento Kings after a 17-year playoffs drought. Now, he is the man who must boost the New York Knicks into the NBA Finals, otherwise the season is a bust.

Amid all the differing opinions about him, what gets lost in the shuffle is the head coach's big personality. Brown is quite the character, and he showed as much after Tuesday night's 124-113 NBA Cup championship win versus the San Antonio Spurs. Following a hard-fought battle, which saw the Knickerbockers overcome an 11-point second-half deficit, Brown got a little choked up. He was not emotional, however. The man was just feeling the physical effects of a postgame beverage.

“Excuse me, I just had a beer,” Brown told the media, per the Oh No He Didn't X account. “Usually when I have a beer, it kind of sits in my throat a little bit, so {I'm} sorry about that. Excuse me mom.”

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Mike Brown has been known to get a bit zany at press conferences — he brought out a laptop to defend his ejection from a 2024 game — but the focus should not be on his personality on this night. The two-time NBA Coach of the Year deserves his due for New York's recent success. The team has won 10 of its last 11 contests and is now the newest NBA Cup champion after pushing past the Spurs in Las Vegas.

OG Anunoby scored a game-high 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting, Karl-Anthony Towns recorded a double-double despite dealing with a calf injury throughout the matchup and Jalen Brunson won NBA Cup MVP honors after posting 25 points and eight assists. The bench was also impactful, with Jordan Clarkson knocking down clutch 3-pointers and Tyler Kolek totaling 14 points, five rebounds and five assists in just 20 minutes of action.

Perhaps most impressively, the Knicks dominated the Spurs on the glass, out-rebounding them 59-42. Mitchell Robinson had a whopping 15 in 18 minutes. This group willed itself to the trophy, and the HC should get credit for preparing his squad to compete in this much-anticipated Final.

Again, Brown and the organization will be skewered if New York does not win the East, but he is handling the pressure well to this point. Actually, one could even say he is elevating the Knicks. Bartender, pour him another one!