Sources: Multiple Knicks players unhappy with Rick Brunson's presence on bench

But it’s come apart quickly since that run — with the Knicks firing coach Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday after five seasons. The drama doesn’t end there, it seems.

Per Hoops Wire sources, multiple Knicks players have been unhappy with the presence of assistant coach Rick Brunson, the father of star guard Jalen Brunson. What that issue is, exactly, has not been determined, though sources suggested that Rick has had too big a say in things.

One source called Rick the person with the most power in the entire organization. His status is uncertain following Thibodeau’s dismissal, though considering he’s Jalen’s dad, many assume Rick will remain with the team in some capacity.

Rick and Jalen were said to be Thibodeau supporters, with Jalen strongly indicating as much when asked about Thibodeau after the Indiana Pacers eliminated the Knicks in six games.

Some Knicks players’ unease with Rick’s presence on the sideline was also reported by Brian Geltzeiler of Sirius XM NBA radio.

Thibodeau joined the Knicks in 2020. He went 226-174 in the regular season and 24-23 in the playoffs and won the 2021 Coach of the Year Award. 

According to Ian Begley of SNY, Knicks president Leon Rose fired Thibodeau after meeting with his “top players.” 

New York owner James Dolan was in the meeting, too. 

“Our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans,” Rose said in a statement. “This pursuit led us to the decision to inform Tom Thibodeau that we’ve decided to move in another direction. 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.

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

Thibodeau has coached the Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves and Knicks. He has a .579 career win percentage as a head coach, the highest by any coach without a Finals appearance in NBA history (minimum 300 games coached), according to ESPN Research.

Thibodeau has won the Coach of the Year Award twice (2011 with Bulls, 2021 with Knicks). 

According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, the Knicks are interested in Jason Kidd and Ime Udoka. Kidd coaches the Dallas Mavericks, while Udoka coaches the Houston Rockets. 

The Mavericks and Rockets are not expected to let the Knicks speak with Kidd and Udoka, respectively. 

(Ashish Mathur contributed to this report.)