Knicks Firing Tom Thibodeau Stuns NBA Fans After Playoff Run to ECF

The New York Knicks' Saturday loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals will be Tom Thibodeau's final game with the franchise.

The Knicks announced Tuesday that the team was parting ways with Thibodeau after five seasons.

Knicks guard Josh Hart responded to the initial report by ESPN's Shams Charania by thanking Thibodeau for his work in New York.

Fans were shocked to hear Thibodeau is losing his job after leading the Knicks to two straight 50-win campaigns and a conference finals appearance.

Thibodeau will part ways with the Knicks having led the team to a 226-174 regular-season record and a 24-23 mark in the playoffs.

That includes the team's run this spring, when the Knicks defeated the defending champion Boston Celtics to advance to the conference finals for the first time since 2000.

Jalen Brunson recently expressed disbelief when asked if he had confidence that Thibodeau could take the Knicks "the rest of the way."

"Is that a real question right now? You just asked me if I believe if he's the right guy? Yes," Brunson answered.

Knicks team president Leon Rose said in a statement that the decision to fire Thibodeau after that run was made because "our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans."

Yahoo Sports reporter Jack Fischer wrote that there had been rumors about Thibodeau's job security back in the first round, but that his dismissal after a trip to Round 3 was "definitely a surprise."

Prior to Thibodeau's hiring, the Knicks finished the 2019-20 season with a 21-45 record, marking the team's seventh straight season without a postseason berth.

Thibodeau was named Coach of the Year when he helped the Knicks make it back into the playoff picture within a single season as head coach. By his third year with the team, the Knicks were considered a title contender.

ESPN's Bobby Marks pointed out that Thibodeau isn't the only recent Coach of the Year winner to be dismissed within a few years of winning the award:

The Knicks extended Thibodeau in summer 2024, taking his contract through the 2027-28 season, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski previously reported.

According to SNY's Ian Begley, that contract has at least $30 million in guaranteed money remaining.