May 16, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau coaches against the Boston Celtics during the first quarter of game six in the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

11-Year NBA Veteran's Interesting Description of Knicks' Tom Thibodeau

Originally posted on Los Angeles Clippers on SI
By Will Despart | Last updated May 26, 2025 4:01 PM ET

Tom Thibodeau's polarizing coaching style has been one of the many topics of conversation during the New York Knicks' playoff run this season.

Former Los Angeles Clippers guard Austin Rivers had an unorthodox comparison for Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau on Sunday, drawing parallels between Thibodeau and Jack Byrnes, Robert De Niro's character in the classic 2000 comedy film 'Meet the Parents.'

Best way I can describe playing for Thibs… is like being son in law to Jack Byrnes. Can be a great thing…. But you gotta be in the circle of trust lol. And that can be a hard thing to do . Only so many get in ‍♂️
— Austin Rivers (@AustinRivers25) May 26, 2025

"Best way I can describe playing for Thibs... is like being a son-in-law to Jack Byrnes," Rivers wrote. "Can be a great thing.... But you gotta be in the circle of trust lol . And that can be a hard thing to do. Only so many get in ‍♂️."

'Meet the Parents' and subsequent sequels 'Meet the Fockers' (2004) and 'Little Fockers' (2010) largely center around Byrnes' stubborn hatred and inability to trust his son-in-law Greg Focker, played by Ben Stiller. Like Byrnes, Thibodeau has an infamously small "circle of trust", most notably evidenced by his short rotations.

“Thibodeau wouldn’t play nine guys in a baseball game.” pic.twitter.com/XUAuxAgSN5
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 26, 2025

Thibodeau is 226-174 in five seasons as head coach of the New York Knicks. The Knicks have made the playoffs in three of those seasons, and Thibodeau won his second NBA Coach of the Year Award in 2021. Thibodeau previously won Coach of the Year and appeared in the Eastern Conference Finals with the Chicago Bulls in 2011, though the Bulls were eliminated by the Miami Heat in five games.

Between his stints with New York and Chicago, Thibodeau was the coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2016-19, a stint most notable for Thibodeau's friction with star Jimmy Butler.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Clippers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: