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The New York Knicks have fired head coach Tom Thibodeau after the team was unable to make it to the NBA Finals.
The team announced the move on Tuesday, with team president Leon Rose thanking Thibodeau for his services to the organization over the past five NBA seasons.
“Our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans,” Rose’s statement read on social media. “This pursuit led us to the difficult decision to inform Tom Thibodeau that we’ve decided to move in another direction.”
New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau speaks during a media day press conference at the MSG training facility in Tarrytown, NY. (Brad Penner-Imagn Images)
The Knicks fell to the Indiana Pacers for the second straight year in the NBA Playoffs, this time in the Eastern Conference Finals in six games.
“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,” Rose’s statement continued. “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. 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.”
Thibodeau has been head coach of the Knicks since the 2020-21 season, helping them build into a true championship contender. In his five seasons with the team, Thibodeau has gone 226-174 as well as 24-23 in 47 playoff games.
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As Rose mentions, Thibodeau played a vital role in the team becoming a consistent playoff contender since taking over.
That reached new heights this past season after Thibodeau led the Knicks to its first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2000. It was also the first time the team had back-to-back 50-win seasons since the 1990s.
New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau reacts during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Monday, March 20, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray) (AP Newsroom)
One may think the Knicks’ accomplishments under Thibodeau would keep him in place through the three-year extension he signed last summer that kept him on through the 2027-28 campaign.
However, the Knicks are looking to go in a different direction after their tough series loss to the Pacers, who will now play for the Larry O’Brien trophy starting this week against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Thibodeau is a longtime head coach in the NBA, leading the Chicago Bulls in his first stint in that role for five seasons, where he earned a 255-139 record. He also coached the Minnesota Timberwolves for three seasons, going 97-107.
New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau looks on in the first quarter against the Indiana Pacers during game five of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. (Brad Penner-Imagn Images)
Thibodeau has been coaching in the league since the 1989-90 season, where he was an assistant in Minnesota. He had similar posts with the San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets, Boston Celtics, and the Knicks before ultimately returning to the franchise down the line.
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