A conspiracy regarding the New York Knicks' head coach appointment: 'The Hornacek hire came at the behest of Isiah Thomas'

In June 2016, it was announced that the New York Knicks had hired Jeff Hornacek as their new head coach. Phil Jackson was frequently mentioned in the months leading up to this decision. As the team's president at the time, he was, as one would expect, solely responsible for finding the right candidate for the position.

However, CBS Sports journalist Ken Berger raised some questions about this narrative. He suggested that there might be more to the story, hinting at potential influences behind the hiring process. For instance, he noted, "Of course, there's also the suggestion that the Hornacek hire came at the behest of Isiah Thomas."

Jackson hiring "Horny" was unusual

Before the Hornacek appointment, media reports had indicated that Jackson, in his role with the Knicks from 2014 to 2017, was looking for someone from "his coaching tree." NBC Sports had made this claim, noting that "The Zen Master" typically preferred this approach. Furthermore, Phil himself had reiterated he would "probably" only interview candidates he already "knew." Drawing on his 50 years of NBA experience, the 11-time championship-winning head coach explained his reasoning.

"I've seen a lot of situations where coaches end up coming in without simpatico with the general manager and those things don't work well," he remarked.

Potential candidates fitting this profile, rumored for hire, included Kurt Rambis, Brian Shaw, and Luke Walton, all closely linked to Jackson. In contrast, Hornacek, who previously worked with the Phoenix Suns, didn't meet the criteria.

Was the Thomas-Dolan duo at it again?

Reflecting on Thomas's role in the conspiracy, one might wonder why he would even have any influence within the organization. After all, the Detroit Pistons legend had a dismal track record during his time with the New York franchise from December 2003 to April 2008.

Despite this, Knicks owner James Dolan still believed in "Zeke." This was evident when, in May 2015, the New York Liberty, the WNBA team Dolan also owned, appointed the Hall of Fame point guard as president. Their seemingly still close relationship, as highlighted by NBC Sports at the time, only fueled the rumor.

"As long as Knicks owner James Dolan continues to give Thomas jobs – Knicks president, Knicks coach, Knicks consultant, something, Liberty president – and express his personal affinity for Thomas, people will speculate," read the report.

Furthermore, what also contributed to the idea of Isiah being behind the Hornacek hiring was the implication that they had close ties, perhaps in part because they are both Illinois natives. As noted by journalist Berger, Thomas's "high school coach in Chicago, Gene Pingatore, has employed Hornacek's father, John, as his lead assistant for 25 years."

Ultimately, like most conspiracies—no matter how bizarre—fans will never uncover the full truth behind the situation. However, it must be said that at that time, the Knicks franchise looked like a complete dumpster fire, so anything seemed possible for the organization.