Source: Justin Casterline / Getty
Veteran coach Tom Thibodeau guided the New York Knicks to their most successful season—and the most basketball relevance in 25 years —but clearly that wasn’t enough.
Just days after losing to their heated Indiana Pacers rivals, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that Thibodeau has been fired from his job as the Knicks’ head coach.
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Thibs coached the team for five seasons, four of which led to playoff appearances. He also led them to consecutive 50-win seasons for the first time since the 1990s.
Team president Leon Rose addressed the move via a press release, claiming he thinks it’s the best move for the team to win a championship during this Jalen Brunson-led window of opportunity.
“Our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans. This pursuit led us to the difficult decision to inform Tom Thibodeau that we’ve decided to move in another direction,” he begins.
He continued, saluting Thibodeau for his job at the helm, which also earned him Coach of the Year for the 2020-21 season, despite a 41-31 record.
“We can’t thank Tom enough for pouring his heart and soul into each and every day of being the New York Knicks head coach. He led us not only with class and professionalism for the past five seasons, but also to tremendous success on the court with four playoff berths and four playoff series victories,” the statement reads. “Ultimately, we made the decision we feel is best for our organization moving forward. Tom will always be a part of our Knicks family and we truly wish him nothing but the best in the future.”
Thibodeau has always been criticized for playing his starters hard in the regular season and not utilizing the depth of his bench, which would provide them with the experience they need during deep playoff runs.
Still, his players always had his back, and Brunson even scoffed at a reporter who asked if Thibs was an NBA Finals-worthy coach after the Eastern Conference Finals loss.
Fans are shocked at the firing, given the Knicks’ steady rise over the last five years. See the reactions below.
