Tom Thibodeau deeply understood the nature of coaching the New York Knicks. Having grown up listening to games and attending them with his father, his connection to the team was personal. He had even served as a young assistant coach under Jeff Van Gundy in the 1990s, known for his relentless work ethic and dedication.
“I loved being here in the `90s,” Thibodeau reflected in 2021 during his first season as head coach. “There was nothing better than the environment at the Garden… It seems like the `90s was yesterday. But I always knew how lucky I was to be with the Knicks.”
Despite a promising regular season in his first year, where he won NBA Coach of the Year and Julius Randle entered MVP discussions, the Knicks were eliminated in the first round by the Atlanta Hawks. Thibodeau often spoke about his love for challenging jobs, having taken on demanding roles in Chicago and Minnesota, understanding the risks involved.
Known for his intense approach, a trait that fueled his success but also contributed to his departures from previous teams, Thibodeau was hired by Knicks president Leon Rose and executive vice president William Wesley. Both executives had established relationships with him through their connections at CAA, the agency where Rose and Wesley previously worked before being persuaded by owner Jim Dolan to join the Knicks in 2020.
Rose, a lifelong Knicks fan himself, left a prestigious career as an agent for this role. He was considered uniquely suited to manage both the notoriously challenging owner Jim Dolan and the equally demanding coach. His success as an agent demonstrated a talent for building relationships, a skill Dolan hoped would translate to the front office`s team-building efforts. Rose also built trust with Dolan through a methodical approach to team construction and shrewd decision-making regarding when to pursue major acquisitions.
Dolan himself commented on this approach in March, contrasting it with past tendencies to seek quick fixes. “What I learned over time is that doesn`t work. You really have to do the fundamentals, the basics. You`ve got to build a team, you`ve got to build an organization,” he stated.
Only Rose and Dolan know precisely what led to the decision to fire Thibodeau on Tuesday, just months after Dolan`s comments. While Thibodeau had undeniably been the team`s most successful coach in decades, leading them to four playoff berths, four playoff series wins, and consecutive 50-win seasons for the first time since 1994-95, they had just lost a playoff series to the Indiana Pacers that many within the organization felt should have been won.
Ultimately, Rose delivered the blunt assessment that Thibodeau had previously said he valued. “Our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans,” Rose said in the statement announcing the firing. This implied a belief that Thibodeau was not the coach who could lead them to that ultimate goal.
In the days leading up to the announcement, Rose met with key players and coaching staff members. While presented as routine exit interviews, these discussions, particularly with the top rotation players, informed the decision. A source indicated that replacing Thibodeau had been considered for months, driven by a sense that the team, despite having All-NBA talents like Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, was not maximizing its potential. The meetings reportedly solidified Rose`s view that a change was needed.
Though players hadn`t outright quit on Thibodeau, doubt lingered about his ability to guide them to the Finals, especially following the manner of their loss to the Pacers. “He got outcoached,” a league source stated, specifically citing the “insane” collapse in Game 1 where the Knicks squandered a significant late lead.
Thibodeau`s in-game decisions during the series faced public scrutiny, including the limited fourth-quarter minutes for Karl-Anthony Towns in Game 2 and the delay in adjusting the starting lineup in Game 3, despite starters struggling. Josh Hart even publicly confirmed suggesting a lineup change earlier. While Thibodeau made some adjustments later in the series that helped extend it, they were seen as too late to alter the outcome or quiet the public questioning.
These weren`t the first public critiques from players this season. Mikal Bridges had previously voiced concerns about the heavy minutes played by starters, suggesting that bench players should be utilized more to keep the team fresh, a long-standing criticism of Thibodeau that he has never fully addressed. These public comments from marquee players were reportedly alarming to the organization.
Beyond specific game decisions, there were concerns about Thibodeau`s strategic reliance on Jalen Brunson. While the Brunson-Towns pick-and-roll was initially highly effective, opponents adjusted, and Thibodeau reportedly failed to develop consistent counters, often leaving Brunson to create offense late in possessions. Brunson`s high usage rate under Thibodeau led to him winning the Clutch Player of the Year award but also raised concerns about his long-term durability, drawing comparisons to Derrick Rose`s struggles with heavy usage under Thibodeau in Chicago.
Ultimately, losing to the Pacers, a team seen as having less top-tier talent but greater depth and shooting, was a decisive factor. The crushing Game 1 collapse, reminiscent of painful moments from the 1990s Knicks-Pacers rivalry, shifted the narrative dramatically. The hope generated by upsetting the Boston Celtics in the previous round dissolved, replaced by the harsh reality that the team, having gone “all-in” with significant trades for Bridges and Towns, had fallen short of expectations before reaching the NBA Finals.
Thibodeau`s primary task was to maximize the talent of these new additions and minimize their weaknesses. Failing to elevate the roster to the Finals, especially in an Eastern Conference impacted by major injuries to other stars, highlighted the shortcomings. The Knicks now face the challenge of finding a coach they believe is an upgrade and addressing the roster holes exposed by the playoff exit.
The New York Knicks coaching job remains one of the most prestigious and difficult in the NBA. Since their last championship in 1973, numerous coaches have tried and failed to bring the franchise back to glory. Thibodeau, despite his historical success, is the latest to succumb to the pressures of the role. He knew the stakes: the fervent environment and the immense pressure that comes with getting the Knicks close to the top. As he himself once said about the Garden atmosphere, “It`s the best. What the Knicks mean to New York City is so special… how lucky have you been?” Despite the luck and the success, it wasn`t enough to secure his tenure.
