David Fizdale Has 'No Ill Feelings' About Knicks; 'I Miss the Hell Out of Them'

Former New York Knicks head coach David Fizdale said Wednesday he harbors "no ill feelings" toward the organization after getting fired in early December.

Fizdale explained during an appearance on ESPN's Golic and Wingo (via Malika Andrews of ESPN) he understands the decision wasn't personal and that getting dismissed after less than two full seasons in charge comes with the territory.

"That's the business we've chosen," he said. "I respect those guys greatly. I miss the hell out of them. I also learned a ton from it, and I was just really grateful to have that opportunity to say I was the head coach of the Knicks."

The 45-year-old Los Angeles native said the toughest part about the Knicks' job is the desire within the franchise's leadership and fanbase to contend again immediately after six straight playoffless seasons when the reality is that a long-term rebuilding plan is needed.

"It is a team that has struggled for a long time, and I think fans really want to get that thing going as soon as possible," Fizdale said on Golic and Wingo. "It's unique from that standpoint. There's other places you can take your time a little more and build more slowly."

The Knicks' 2019 offseason is a perfect example of the problem.

They failed to land any of the top available players from a star-studded free-agency pool, including Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. That tandem had long been linked to New York, but the two instead wound up with the rival Brooklyn Nets.

Instead, they signed a group of middling veterans, led by Julius Randle, Bobby Portis and Taj Gibson. Those players are capable of making an impact as secondary contributors on a contender, but they fell short of what was required when the 2019-20 season started. 

With New York still floundering near the bottom of the standings and the front office starting to come under fire, Fizdale was fired.

He guided the Knicks to a 21-83 record during his short tenure that began in May 2018, but it's hard to place a substantial portion of the blame on his shoulders. The team simply didn't have enough talent to seriously compete.

Several NBA coaches, including the San Antonio Spurs' Gregg Popovich, came to his defense.

"I don't know where the decision was made to fire coach Fizdale, but if it came from the top, it's a case of mistaken identity," Popovich said, before adding: "He got thrown under the bus."

Fizdale, who previously served as head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies and won two NBA titles as an assistant with the Miami Heat, is seemingly taking his unceremonious exit from New York in stride, though.