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Charles Barkley Takes Shot At Knicks After Firing Tom Thibodeau

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated Jun 11, 2025 9:38 PM ET

After defeating the defending champion Boston Celtics in six games, Tom Thibodeau and the New York Knicks saw their season come to an end in the Eastern Conference finals, falling to the Indiana Pacers.

Thibodeau joined the Knicks in 2020 and has made it to the NBA Playoffs in four of his five seasons there. However, despite the recent success, New York elected to part ways with Thibodeau following its elimination.

The Knicks have looked into interviewing four current NBA head coaches, including the Dallas Mavericks' Jason Kidd, the Minnesota Timberwolves' Chris Finch, the Houston Rockets' Ime Udoka and the Atlanta Hawks' Quin Snyder.

However, according to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Hawks became the fourth team to deny the Knicks an interview, leaving New York empty-handed to begin its coaching search.

Outside of these four potential candidates, New York hasn't revealed much of a plan going forward without Thibodeau. And NBA legend Charles Barkley does not approve.

On Wednesday, Barkley joined ESPN for its pregame coverage of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The former Phoenix Suns forward was not pleased with New York's coaching decision, calling them out live on air.

"The Knicks gotta be the stupidest damn people in the world," Barkley said. "Like, you don't fire a good coach like that and don't have a plan. I mean, Thibs did a hell of a job. Obviously, something's going on there, but you don't have a plan, and now, the three coaches turn you down. You gotta have a plan, man. And they don't have a plan. Now... I mean, I don't know what the hell they are going to do."

Charles Barkley: "The Knicks gotta be the stupidest damn people in the world." ️ #NBA #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/CG6OABC778
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 12, 2025

Although Thibodeau hasn't won an NBA championship as a head coach, he has still put together an impressive coaching resume. He won two NBA Coach of the Year awards and even led the Knicks to their first semifinal appearance in 25 years.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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