The New York Knicks fired coach Tom Thibodeau after losing in the Eastern Conference Finals — their first appearance at that stage of the NBA postseason since 2000. Many players and coaches, including some on Thibodeau’s roster, came to his defense after the franchise’s decision to go in another direction. With an offseason to reflect on the change in leadership, Knicks star Jalen Brunson offered his thoughts on Thibodeau’s exit and why the front office elected to make a coaching change.
“It’s sad to see a man I’ve known for a long time part ways with this organization,” Brunson said Tuesday at Knicks media day. “He’s meant a lot to me. I’ve expressed that to him publicly and personally. He’s meant a lot to my career up to this point.”
The best years of Brunson’s career came under Thibodeau’s tutelage. After emerging as a formidable player with the Dallas Mavericks, Brunson took his game to another level when he joined forces in New York with Thibodeau, who gave him the biggest role of his career. Under Thibodeau’s tutelage, Brunson garnered a pair of All-Star selections and All-NBA honors and developed into one of the most highly regarded point guards in the league.
Thibodeau increased the Knicks’ regular season win total in four consecutive years before his firing. He took the franchise last season to its first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2000 where the Knicks lost in six games to the Indiana Pacers. And that was after he snapped New York’s seven-year playoff drought in his debut season at the helm.
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The Knicks’ decision to move on from an established and successful coach despite their upward trajectory raised questions about the front office. Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff went so far as to say the firing was the “final straw” in a trend of disrespect toward coaches.
Brunson took a more pragmatic stance.
“My job is to go out there and find a way to help this team win,” said Brunson. “There’s different people in this organization with different jobs and different things they have to do to be able to make this team better. That’s their point of view. So for me, I have to just come in and do my job to the best of my abilities.”
The Knicks fell short of their championship goals during the 2024-25 season, and with the front office setting the precedent that it will not settle for anything less than title contention, incoming coach Mike Brown faces a lot of pressure to deliver right out of the gate. Brown is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year but has been fired by the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings throughout a career that spans two decades.
If he takes the Knicks to the mountaintop, Brown will win his first NBA championship as a head coach (he’s won four as an assistant).
“I’m excited,” Brunson said. “It’s going to be fun. It’s a new year. Everything’s gonna be new, so everything’s gonna be exciting at the beginning. Just really excited to get this season started.”