Oct 12, 2010; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose (1) talks with head coach Tom Thibodeau during the first quarter of a preseason game against the Toronto Raptors at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-Imagn Images Jerry Lai-Imagn Images

NBA Legend Derrick Rose Reacts to Knicks Firing Tom Thibodeau

Originally posted on Chicago Bulls on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Jul 6, 2025 7:11 PM ET

The New York Knicks surprised many people when they decided to fire Tom Thibodeau after their run to the Eastern Conference Finals. It was their most successful playoff run since 2000, but they decided that the run wasn't good enough.

It took them some time to settle on a new coach, eventually deciding on Mike Brown as Thibodeau's successor. Now, the former Chicago Bulls coach Thibodeau is sitting at home again.

Chicago Bulls legend Derrick Rose, who played for Thibodeau a few different times, was the Grand Marshal for the NASCAR Chicago Street Race on Sunday, and he was asked about his reaction to the Knicks firing Thibodeau.

"I talked to Thibs after, He's good. I think you can't be mad when you're walking away with $30 million. You can't be too sorry for him," Rose said. "But he's in good spirits. That's my guy, we're like that 'til the end. He's good, Jalen's still in New York, he's gonna be ballin'. Everybody wins, I feel like."

Former NBA MVP and #NASCARChicago grand marshal Derrick Rose was asked today about his reaction to the Knicks firing Tom Thibodeau. The two had a long relationship and Rose played on his Knicks teams at the end of his career.

Says Thibs is in good spirits and "you can't be mad… pic.twitter.com/vhnTuuMytb
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) July 6, 2025

Thibodeau was the Bulls' head coach from 2010-2015, leading Chicago to a 255-139 record over that time with an Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 2011. Had Derrick Rose not torn his ACL the next year, they could've been fighting the Miami Heat's Big 3 for Eastern Conference supremacy. That likely also led to an early end for Thibodeau's tenure in Chicago, as he has only ever been a head coach for five seasons anywhere he's been.

Rose's injuries are one of the bigger what-ifs in recent NBA history. He became the youngest MVP in NBA history under Thibodeau in 2011, but injuries really hampered the rest of his career.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bulls on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: