Mike Brown Says Tom Thibodeau 'Did a Great Job' as Knicks HC Before Firing

The New York Knicks surprised some around the NBA when they fired head coach Tom Thibodeau after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, but his replacement had nothing but praise for him on Tuesday.

"I thought Tom Thibodeau did a great job and the guys did a fantastic job last year," Mike Brown told reporters at his introductory news conference. "But I'm looking forward. … I just can't wait to get on the court and start implementing things that we want to do offensively and help us grow and take it to another level."

It is hard to argue with Thibodeau's success in New York after he went 226-174 with four playoff appearances in five seasons.

Last season's run to the Eastern Conference Finals was also the Knicks' deepest postseason appearance since 2000, although they lost to the Indiana Pacers in six games. It was the second straight year Indiana eliminated them in the playoffs, with the 2024 exit coming in the second round.

However, New York is undoubtedly looking to take the next step in the playoffs during the upcoming campaign, especially in a wide-open Eastern Conference.

Along those lines, ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported last month that "there was doubt that he could lead them to the Finals after the way the Knicks lost to the Pacers" when writing about Thibodeau. She also cited a league source who said, "he got outcoached."

His substitution patterns came into question, and some of his players even called him out at times.

Enter Brown, who is 454-304 across 11 different seasons as the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings. His resume features two NBA Coach of the Year awards and an appearance in the 2007 NBA Finals with Cleveland.

He will be expected to lead the Knicks to the Finals in his first season, given so much of the uncertainty surrounding other presumed contenders in the Eastern Conference, and he did not back away from that reality Tuesday:

"Nobody has any bigger expectations than I do," he said. "My expectations are high. This is the Knicks. I love and embrace the expectations that come along with it."

If Brown can deliver on those expectations and lead the Knicks further in the postseason than Thibodeau did, he will quickly become a fan favorite in the Big Apple.