Knicks fire coach Tom Thibodeau
after first Eastern Conference finals berth in 25 years
[June 04, 2025]
By BRIAN MAHONEY
NEW YORK (AP) — Tom Thibodeau just took the New York Knicks to the
Eastern Conference finals, the deepest playoff march in 25 years for
a franchise that reemerged as a contender after he became their
coach.
For that, he was fired.
The Knicks made what they called a “difficult decision” to move on
from Thibodeau on Tuesday, believing it was a necessary step in
their chase for a championship.
“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. He led us not
only with class and professionalism for the past five seasons, but
also to tremendous success on the court with four playoff berths and
four playoff series victories,” team president Leon Rose said in a
statement.
“Ultimately we made the decision we feel is best for our
organization moving forward. Tom will always be a part of our Knicks
family and we truly wish him nothing but the best in the future.”
The Knicks were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers with a loss in Game
6 on Saturday night, falling two games short of their first NBA
Finals appearance since 1999. Thibodeau was then asked what the
Knicks needed to do this summer to go further.
“Like you would do after every season, you take a step back, I think
decompress,” Thibodeau said. “You do a deep dive on the team and
then you analyze what you think you need to improve upon.”
The Knicks decided it was the coach.
The move was made by Rose with approval from owner Jim Dolan,
according to a person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition
of anonymity because that detail was not included in the
announcement. The firing was first reported by ESPN.
It's a strange decision by the Knicks, who had been one of the
league's worst franchises for most of the 2000s until Thibodeau was
hired in 2020. He promptly led the Knicks to the playoffs in his
first season, winning his second NBA Coach of the Year award, and
they have been a solid contender in the East in recent seasons. They
gave Thibodeau a three-year contract extension last summer.
Their big breakthrough came in 2024-25, when they knocked off
defending champion Boston in the second round to reach the
conference finals for the first time since 2000 — when Thibodeau was
an assistant under Jeff Van Gundy.
After they were eliminated Saturday, captain Jalen Brunson expressed
his support for Thibodeau, bristling at a question about whether he
believed the coach was right for the team.
“Is that a real question right now?” Brunson said. “You just asked
me if I believe that he’s the right guy? Yes. Come on.”
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New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau talks with players during a
timeout during the second quarter of Game 2 of the NBA basketball
Eastern Conference final against the Indiana Pacers, Friday, May 23,
2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Three days later, Thibodeau was gone despite a
226-174 record in New York. He has the fourth-most wins by a Knicks
coach.
Thibodeau faced criticisms that his hard-driving style and
overreliance on his starters wore down his players, the same ones
that have followed him since the beginning of his head coaching
career in Chicago. But his ways seemed to be working in New York.
And even among the celebrities that filled Madison Square Garden,
Thibodeau's gruff style was a natural fit for fans who longed for
the defense-driven success of the 1990s.
“I am a Tom Thibodeau fan. He brought this team back,” actor Ben
Stiller, who watched the postseason run from his courtside seat,
wrote on X. “I felt he gave every bit of himself and was always
looking to improve. I will always be grateful for how far he brought
the Knicks. They are relevant again. They are championship
contenders again. The Knicks became winners again with him.”
The Knicks hadn't won a playoff series since 2013 but now have done
it in three straight seasons. They went 50-32 in 2023-24 and
followed that with a 51-31 record this season, having loaded up in
the offseason by trading for All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal
Bridges.
But the person said the organization felt there was a need for a new
voice when the Knicks try again to end their lengthy championship
drought. They won their second and last title in 1973.
Thibodeau is well aware of their history, having grown up as a
Knicks fan in Connecticut before joining the organization as an
assistant coach in 1996.
He went on to help the Boston Celtics win the 2008 NBA title as an
assistant, earning a reputation as one of the league's top defensive
minds, before finally getting a chance as a head coach with the
Bulls in 2010-11. He went 62-20 in his first season, earning his
first Coach of the Year award.
Thibodeau, who spent five seasons with the Bulls and also coached
Minnesota, is 578-420 as a head coach.
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