Jan 10, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) shakes hands with New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau as he exits the game during the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Knicks Star Was Surprised By Tom Thibodeau Firing

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Geoff Magliocchetti | Last updated Sep 17, 2025 5:00 PM ET

Tom Thibodeau is no longer the alpha of New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns' wolfpack.

Over three months have passed since the Knicks shockingly relieved Thibodeau of duty, giving the basketball world a bit of an opportunity to process the news. Among the flabbergasted was Towns, who was asked about the sacking in his interview with Sean Gregory of Time.

“I didn’t know what was happening,” Towns said. “I just knew that I left to finally get some R & R, and I’m hearing the news, so obviously I was surprised, like the rest of the world."

Towns and Thibodeau had previously collaborated during the former's first NBA stop with the Minnesota Timberwolves. While they helped the wayward Wolves franchise get back on track, Thibodeau was released in 2019 and landed the Knicks job shortly afterward. He has since been succeeded by Mike Brown after an extensive search.

While Towns is looking forward to working with Brown, claiming to have "heard so many great things about him" in his second season as a Manhattanite, Thibodeau's surprise firing couldn't help but remind Towns of the "instability" that has followed him throughout his NBA career and his personal life.

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns Brad Penner-Imagn Images

"We had a successful year," Towns recalled. "I’ve always had instability in my career. You always think the best, and you also expect the worst. So you never know.”

Despite those difficulties, Towns has nonetheless made a significant impact both on and off the floor, with the Knicks and the metropolitan community getting to enjoy both sides of the New Jersey native after he was acquired in a late offseason swap with the Timberwolves, one that exported Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle.

Averaging 24.4 points and a career-best 12.8 rebounds, Towns was a starter at the NBA All-Star Game for the first time in his career and helped guide the Knicks to their first Eastern Conference Finals showing in a quarter-century. For his efforts on in both avenues, Towns was named a "Latin Leader" by Time, a list that also includes actress Isabella Merced and business/sports investor Emma Rodriguez-Ayala.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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