Rick Carlisle Gets Brutally Honest About Knicks Firing Tom Thibodeau

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Zachary Rainey | Last updated Jun 5, 2025 6:26 PM ET

The New York Knicks just enjoyed one of the best seasons in recent memory. They entered the NBA Playoffs as the No. 3 seed and faced the Detroit Pistons in the first round.

After defeating the Pistons in six games, many thought the Boston Celtics would have their number, as the Knicks failed to beat the Celtics in the regular season. But all of that went out the window when the Knicks completed multiple comebacks before knocking off the defending champions. The Indiana Pacers proved to be too much to handle, as the Knicks fell 4-2.

Rick Carlisle gets honest after Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau

While some would view the Knicks making the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years a successful season, others didn't think so, including the Knicks' upper brass.

On Tuesday, the Knicks shocked many around the NBA when they announced that they were firing head coach Tom Thibodeau after five seasons with the team.

While the Indiana Pacers prepare for Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, head coach Rick Carlisle shared his honest opinion on Thibodeau's firing.

"I'm at a loss to explain it," Carlise, the President of the Coaches Association, said. " This is something I didn't believe was possible. But ownerships in the NBA have the right to make these decisions unilaterally.

"When we get into coaching, we understand that there are dynamic and difficult elements of the business, but the job that Tom did there after a lot of lean years, and I mean a lot of lean years, completely changed the culture."

“This was something that I didn’t believe was possible.”

Rick Carlisle, President of the Coaches Association, is at a loss trying to explain the Knicks parting ways with Tom Thibodeau@termineradio | @jumpshot8 pic.twitter.com/EkDnRVpZh5
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) June 5, 2025

Many will continue to monitor the situation regarding the Knicks' vacancy at head coach. Who they choose to bring in and interview for the position will no doubt be a subject of conversation as we progress into the offseason.

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

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