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The New York Knicks have fired the chief coach Tom Thibodeau after the team could not reach the NBA finals.
The team announced the movement on Tuesday, with the president of the team, Leon Rose, thanking Tibodeau for their services to the organization in the last five seasons of the NBA.
“Our organization centers singularly on winning a championship for our fans,” reads Rose’s social networks. “This search led us to the difficult decision to inform Tom Thibodeau that we have decided to move in another direction.”
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The New York Knicks chief coach Tom Thibodeau speaks during a media day press conference at MSG training facilities in Tarrytown, NY. (Brad Penner-Imagn images)
The Knicks fell to the Indiana Pacers for the second consecutive year in the NBA playoffs, this time in the East Conference finals in six games.
“We cannot thank Tom to pour his heart and soul enough every day of being the New York Knicks chief coach,” Rose’s statement continued. “He took us not only with class and professionalism during the last five seasons, but also with a tremendous success on the court with four playoff bits and four victories of the playoff series. Ultimately, we make the decision we consider that it is better for our organization in the future. Tom always will be part of our Knicks family and we really wish him nothing more than the best in the future.”
Thibodeau has been chief coach of the Knicks since the 2020-21 season, helping them to become a true contender to the championship. In his five seasons with the team, Tibodeau has gone 226-174 and 24-23 in 47 playoff games.
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As Rose mentions, Thibodeau played a vital role in the team that became a constant playoff contender since he took over.
That reached new heights last season after Thibodeau took the Knicks to their first appearance in the East Conference since 2000. It was also the first time that the team had consecutive seasons of 50 wins since the 1990s.
The New York Knicks chief coach Tom Thibodeau reacts during the first half of a NBA basketball match against the Minnesota Timberwolves, on Monday, March 20, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray) (AP Newsroom)
One may think that the achievements of the Knicks under Thibodeau would keep him in place during the three-year extension he signed last summer that kept him during the 2027-28 campaign.
However, the Knicks seek to go in a different direction after their hard loss of the series against the Pacers, who will now play for the Larry O’Brien trophy from this week against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Thibodeau is a chief coach for a long time in the NBA, leading the Chicago Bulls in their first period in that role for five seasons, where he obtained a record of 255-139. He also trained the Minnesota Timberwolves for three seasons, with 97-107.
The New York Knicks chief coach Tom Thibodeau observes in the first quarter against the Indiana Pacers during the game five of the Eastern Conference finals for the NBA playoffs of 2025 at the Madison Square Garden. (Brad Penner-Imagn images)
Thibodeau has been training in the League since the 1989-90 season, where he was an assistant in Minnesota. He had similar publications with the San Antonio Spurs, the Philadelphia 76ers, the Rockets of Houston, the Boston Celtics and the Knicks before returning to the franchise in the future.
