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Knicks' Mike Brown Shares Honest Tom Thibodeau Message

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Nathaniel Holloway | Last updated Jul 11, 2025 2:16 PM ET

The New York Knicks are coming off a season in which they reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000, though they were unable to make the NBA Finals after being eliminated by the Indiana Pacers.

It was a successful season for the Knicks but it was not enough for them to hold onto head coach Tom Thibodeau as they elected to fire him just three days after their playoff exit.

This was a shocking move as many believed that New York would run it back with Thibodeau manning the sidelines next season but it is clear that they thought it was time for a change.

After almost a month of interviews with multiple candidates, for their head coach opening, the Knicks announced last week that they have hired former Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown as Thibodeau’s replacement.

On Wednesday, Brown was asked about Thibodeau and he sent an honest message about the former Knicks’ head coach.

“First of all, Tom’s a tremendous coach and he is a friend of mine, but I don’t want to get to the past,” Brown said. “I’m just excited about the roster. I’m excited about the things that we’re going to put in place here and where we could go with the guys that we have.”

It is clear that Brown did not want to talk about the past in New York but instead look towards the future with him manning the sidelines.

Of course, Brown is a two-time Coach of the Year winner and he now inherits a team that is expected to be a top seed in the weakened Eastern Conference next season behind their core of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges.

Due to this, Brown has high expectations for his first season in The Big Apple as he tries to lead the Knicks to a championship.

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

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