Tom Thibodeau 'Still Hurt' by Firing Decision as Knicks Win NBA Title, His Friend Says in New Report

After winning the 2026 NBA championship, the New York Knicks have put all the past pain behind them.

However, forgetting the past means forgetting some of the things that got the Knicks to the point of being a championship team, such as the firing of former head coach Tom Thibodeau.

Ian O'Connor of The Athletic reported that a friend of Thibodeau's said he is "genuinely very happy for the players and his guys" for winning the Knicks' first NBA championship since 1973, but the friend added that "Tom is still hurt that the decision-makers made it appear he needed to be replaced."

Thibodeau had coached New York through the final stages of its rebuild and helped the team become a consistent playoff contender with four postseason appearances in his five years at the helm. However, after last year's disappointing loss to the rival Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks decided it was time for a change.

New York replaced Thibodeau with Mike Brown, who has a vastly different personality from his hard-nosed predecessor.

Thibodeau was criticized for being rigid with his lineups and refusing to play his bench more, while Brown proved to be able to adjust on the fly as he led the Knicks on a 16-3 run through the playoffs that culminated with defeating the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals in five games.

Moving on from Thibodeau proved to be a necessary step for New York on its path to its first NBA title in 53 years, but it's understandable that the veteran coach still hasn't gotten over his firing.