Knicks' Jalen Brunson Says He's 'So Grateful' For Tom Thibodeau After Firing as HC

New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson said he is "so grateful" for his former head coach, Tom Thibodeau, during the latest edition of the Roommates Show with teammate Josh Hart.

The Knicks parted ways with Thibodeau after five seasons despite the team reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years. New York won 51 games and earned the Eastern Conference's No. 3 playoff seed before beating the Detroit Pistons in the first round and upsetting the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics in the second round. However, the Knicks then fell in six games to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Brunson joined the Knicks in free agency from the Dallas Mavericks on a four-year, $104 million contract in the summer of 2022. He's since exploded into one of the NBA's top guards, averaging 26.4 points and 6.7 assists over the past three years.

Brunson has made the All-Star team and the All-NBA second team each of the past two years. In addition, New York has made the second round of the playoffs for three straight years for the first time since 1998-2000.

So Brunson obviously enjoyed great success under Thibodeau and is clearly grateful for his impact on his career. He's been a phenomenal talent in his own right, of course, and broke out when given the chance to run the show in New York.

Now the Knicks are in the market for a new head coach. The talent to work with, led by Brunson, is certainly there as New York looks for its first NBA Finals appearance since 1999 and first NBA title since 1973.