Mike Brown turns competitive amid James Dolan's Knicks NBA Finals ultimatum

Mike Brown turns competitive amid James Dolan's Knicks NBA Finals ultimatum originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

For a team as big as the New York Knicks, progression and excellence are always the mantra. Owner James Dolan has seen this team go a long way but was fairly tired of the recent plateau from not winning the Larry O'Brien trophy. So, he dropped a big ultimatum for Coach Mike Brown, whether it was a call of impatience is still debatable. Regardless, the head coach is ready for the challenge and even Jalen Brunson responded positively to it.

Coach Brown heeds Knicks owner's NBA Finals ultimatum

A lot of breakthroughs happened since Coach Mike Brown took over for the Knicks. Jalen Brunson has led the team to 53 wins which is the best record they have gotten since Carmelo Anthony got the team a 54-win record in 2013. But, none of those will matter if the Knicks do not win enough in the postseason.

How much is enough? Well, James Dolan expects them to win all the way to the NBA Finals. The Knicks owner will likely look in another direction if his expectations are not met. A lot of coaches will crack under pressure but Brown is different. He responded with a very competitive spirit before they started their postseason campaign, via James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.

"I don’t even think about the last part of the question. Everybody in that locker room has a competitive spirit that I like, and I can say is unmatched. I love the group. We’re competing, not just for 53 wins; we’re competing, like everyone else is, to win it. We’re concentrating on practice tomorrow, getting ready for Atlanta. Our competitive spirit is there, and it’s not something that we take lightly," the Knicks head coach said.