The New York Knicks parted ways with coach Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday, just days after the team was eliminated from what was its first Eastern Conference finals appearance in 25 years.
Almost immediately, star guard Josh Hart spoke out on social media about his now former head coach.
Forever Grateful 🧡💙 Thank You! https://t.co/a81D5SST1d
— Josh Hart (@joshhart) June 3, 2025
The split came just days after Knicks star Jalen Brunson defended Thibodeau after their loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 6, which ended their postseason run.
“Is that a real question right now?” Brunson responded when asked if Thibodeau was the guy to take the Knicks to the next level.
“You just asked me if I believe he’s the right guy? Yes.”
Jalen Brunson defended Thibs as HC after being eliminated… And now he’s fired 😳 pic.twitter.com/dElzXvAneY
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 3, 2025
Hart and Brunson weren’t alone in their praise for Thibodeau, either. Actor and noted Knicks superfan Ben Stiller, who was frequently spotted sitting courtside throughout the team’s most recent playoff run, thanked Thibodeau for making the Knicks “relevant again” on social media, too.
I am a Tom Thibodeau fan. He brought this team back. 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…
— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) June 3, 2025
Noted Knicks fan John McEnroe happened to be calling the Carlos Alcaraz-Tommy Paul match in the French Open when the news broke, and he reacted to the news live, saying “that’s pretty harsh. That is a bummer.”
Coincidentally, former NBA MVP Derrick Rose, who played for Thibodeau with the Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks, was at Roland Garros watching the match. He had joined the TNT broadcast earlier.
Noted New York Knicks fan John McEnroe gives some instant reaction to the Tom Thibodeau firing during the French Open 🎾🏀🎙️ pic.twitter.com/CxrZcjKDMi
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 3, 2025
Plenty in the Knicks world and New York media universe weren’t quite on board with the move to fire Thibodeau.
This is a startlingly terrible decision. #Knickshttps://t.co/gO18A215zD
— Mike Greenberg (@Espngreeny) June 3, 2025
It’s also a *massive* gamble that whatever you may gain in optimization outweighs what you may lose in the culture Thibodeau created, and that you don’t lose the buy-in — specifically from Jalen Brunson, who was very vocal in his support for Thibs — that helped get you this far.
— Dan Devine (@YourManDevine) June 3, 2025
So has KAT gotten Thibs fired twice now?
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) June 3, 2025
Instant Reaction – Tom Thibodeau Fired pic.twitter.com/7AnN2jYGs2
— Jon “Stugotz” Weiner (@stugotz790) June 3, 2025
At least one person didn’t waste any time vying for the now open job in Manhattan, too.
Metta is the perfect choice for head coach of the @nyknicks . Since 1999 this was suppose to happen. I’ve never ran from the city. When all the top players left NYC because it was hard , I went to @StJohnsBBall . I wanted to be drafted by the Knicks, I seemed to be the only one…
— Coach Metta (@MettaWorld37) June 3, 2025
I want every bit of the smoke in NYC. I’m 100% in and ready to HEAD COACH the great @nyknicks .
Queens bred.
Dominated my Highschool era.
Three championship at the Rucker and never lost one at Rucker.
3 Championships at the real Gershwin when there was no security.
Lots more…— Coach Metta (@MettaWorld37) June 3, 2025
The Knicks won 51 games this season and reached the conference finals for the first time since 2000. Thibodeau got the Knicks to the playoffs in four of his five seasons at the helm, and he racked up back-to-back 50-win seasons for the first time since the early 1990s. Before Thibodeau was hired, the Knicks hadn’t made the playoffs in seven seasons.
By all accounts, Thibodeau’s time with the Knicks was a success. As has been the case at his previous stops in Chicago and Minnesota, it just wasn’t successful enough.
The New York Knicks parted ways with coach Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday, just days after the team was eliminated from what was its first Eastern Conference finals appearance in 25 years.
Almost immediately, star guard Josh Hart spoke out on social media about his now former head coach.
The split came just days after Knicks star Jalen Brunson defended Thibodeau after their loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 6, which ended their postseason run.
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“Is that a real question right now?” Brunson responded when asked if Thibodeau was the guy to take the Knicks to the next level.
“You just asked me if I believe he’s the right guy? Yes.”
Hart and Brunson weren’t alone in their praise for Thibodeau, either. Actor and noted Knicks superfan Ben Stiller, who was frequently spotted sitting courtside throughout the team’s most recent playoff run, thanked Thibodeau for making the Knicks “relevant again” on social media, too.
Noted Knicks fan John McEnroe happened to be calling the Carlos Alcaraz-Tommy Paul match in the French Open when the news broke, and he reacted to the news live, saying “that’s pretty harsh. That is a bummer.”
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Coincidentally, former NBA MVP Derrick Rose, who played for Thibodeau with the Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks, was at Roland Garros watching the match. He had joined the TNT broadcast earlier.
Plenty in the Knicks world and New York media universe weren’t quite on board with the move to fire Thibodeau.
At least one person didn’t waste any time vying for the now open job in Manhattan, too.
The Knicks won 51 games this season and reached the conference finals for the first time since 2000. Thibodeau got the Knicks to the playoffs in four of his five seasons at the helm, and he racked up back-to-back 50-win seasons for the first time since the early 1990s. Before Thibodeau was hired, the Knicks hadn’t made the playoffs in seven seasons.
By all accounts, Thibodeau’s time with the Knicks was a success. As has been the case at his previous stops in Chicago and Minnesota, it just wasn’t successful enough.
