THE New York Knicks fired head coach Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday after five seasons and four playoff appearances.
The move announced by team president Leon Rose comes three days after a season-ending Game 6 loss to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals, the farthest the Knicks had advanced in the postseason in 25 years.
“Tom will always be a part of our Knicks family and we truly wish him nothing but the best in the future.”
Thibodeau, 67, compiled a 226-174 (.565) record in the regular season, including a 51-31 finish this season. He was 24-23 in the playoffs with New York.
In July 2024, Thibodeau signed a three-year extension through 2027-28 that was worth a reported $10 million to $11 million per season.
Thibodeau previously coached the Chicago Bulls (2010-15) and Minnesota Timberwolves (2016-19) and owns a career record of 578-420 (.579) in the regular season and 48-55 (.466) in the playoffs. He was named the NBA’s Coach of the Year in 2010-11 and 2020-21.
He is two shy of becoming the 35th head coach in NBA history with 1,000 games.
The Knicks last reached the conference finals in 1999-2000 and have not won a championship since 1972-73.
Rose made Tuesday’s decision with the full support of team owner James Dolan, according to The Athletic.
Knicks star Jalen Brunson voiced his support for Thibodeau following the season-ending loss against the Pacers on Saturday in Indianapolis.
“Is that a real question right now?” Brunson answered when asked whether Thibodeau was the man to take New York to the next level. “You just asked me if I believe he’s the right guy? Yes. Come on.”
Throughout his coaching career, Thibodeau has drawn criticism for his strategy of giving his starters a heavy workload, potentially leading to breakdowns and injuries.
Knicks swingman Mikal Bridges, who averaged a career-high 37 minutes in his first season with the club in 2024-25, voiced a complaint in March.
“Sometimes it’s not fun on the body,” Bridges said. “You’ll want that as a coach but also talked to him a little bit knowing that we’ve got a good enough team where our bench guys can come in and we don’t need to play 48 (minutes), 47.” — Reuters
