Knicks stun NBA world by firing HC Tom Thibodeau

The New York Knicks are parting ways with head coach Tom Thibodeau, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.

“Our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans. This pursuit led us to the difficult decision to inform Tom Thibodeau that we’ve decided to move in another direction,” president of basketball operations Leon Rose said in a statement. “We can’t thank Tom enough for pouring his heart and soul into each and every day of being the New York Knicks head coach. He led us not only with class and professionalism for the past five seasons, but also to tremendous success on the court with four playoff berths and four playoff series victories.

“Ultimately, we made the decision we feel is best for our organization moving forward. Tom will always be a part of our Knicks family and we truly wish him nothing but the best in the future.”

The timing of the move is surprising, given that New York just had its best season in a quarter-century, coming within two wins of appearing in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. While there were rumblings earlier in the year that Thibodeau would be on the hot seat if the Knicks made an early playoff exit, that chatter had quieted down following playoff series wins over the Pistons and Celtics.

Steve Popper of Newsday says he heard from a source that Thibodeau believed he’d need to win that second-round series against Boston to keep his job. However, even that upset win proved not to be enough. The organization, which is “singularly focused” on winning a championship, believes a new voice on the sidelines can help the team take its next step toward a title, Charania explains.

According to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post, the decision to fire Thibodeau was made by Rose, with the support of ownership.

Thibodeau, who coached the Bulls from 2010-15 and the Timberwolves from 2017-19, was hired by the Knicks ahead of the 2020-21 season. He posted a 226-174 (.565) regular season record across his five years with the franchise, leading the Knicks to four playoff appearances and four series wins, with an overall postseason record of 24-23 (.511). He was named the NBA’s Coach of the Year in 2021.

Thibodeau has received criticism over the years for his tendency to rely heavily on his starters and underutilize his bench. However, his players have typically been vocal in their support for him. Following the team’s elimination from the postseason over the weekend, Jalen Brunson bristled at speculation about his head coach’s future, responding, “Is that a real question right now? You just asked me if I believe he’s the right guy. Yes. Come on.”

The Knicks will still owe Thibodeau at least $30M in guaranteed money, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY. He had signed a three-year extension last summer, which was set to take effect in 2025-26.

New York will be just the second NBA team to launch a head coaching search this spring, joining the Suns. Phoenix has reportedly narrowed its search to a pair of Cavaliers assistants, Johnnie Bryant and Jordan Ott.