Here are four key differences the 55-year-old Brown brings that Rose, team owner Jim Dolan and the club's legion of fans are hoping can guide New York back to the promised land after 52 years of waiting.

Brown has had a relatively unusual head coaching career. Rather than starting out with a young team and growing slowly, he was thrown into the fire as the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers right as LeBron James began to grow into a superstar.

Brown is expected to be hired as the new head coach of the Knicks following the team's best season this century.