The Knicks Fired Tom Thibodeau, and it’s a Damn Shame

The New York Knicks reminded us that progress is never safe in this city. After leading the team to the Eastern Conference Finals, The New York Knicks are relieving Tom Thibodeau of his duties as head coach.

When Thibs took the reins in 2020, the Knicks were the league’s running joke. A punchline. A meme. A team that couldn’t sniff the playoffs and yet, Thibs did what felt impossible—he made the Knicks relevant again. Not just respectable. Relevant.

He brought in culture. Identity. Defense-first, grind-it-out, bully-ball basketball that may not have been flashy, but damn was it effective. The team started winning games they used to lose by 20. Madison Square Garden roared like it was 1999 again. Julius Randle became an All-Star. Jalen Brunson became an All-NBA and League Leader. Fans bought back in.

Since then?

• 4 playoff appearances in 5 seasons

• Back-to-back 50+ win seasons for the first time since the Clinton administration

• 226-174 regular season record.

• Eastern Conference Finals berth—the first in 25 freakin’ years

• 2021 NBA Coach of the Year.

The Knicks won a playoff series in 3 straight years under Thibodeau. From 2001 to 2020, they won just 1 series. He built winning foundation here.This wasn’t just improvement. It was a resurrection. A revival. Thibs turned the Knicks into a team that mattered, in a city that lives and dies by its basketball heritage.

So why the axe? The whispers are already swirling:

"He runs his players into the ground."

"He doesn’t adapt."

"The offense lacks modern creativity."

Spare me.

Thibs has always been Thibs—intense, demanding, borderline obsessive. But you know what? That works here. This is New York. We don’t do coddling. We respect grit. Guys like Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart thrived under him. He squeezed every ounce of basketball out of an injury-riddled roster and nearly willed them into the Finals. Maybe he was stubborn in rotation patterns. But name a coach who isn’t without flaws. Spoelstra didn’t become Spo overnight. Even Phil Jackson needed Jordan and Shaq. Thibs made the most out of a roster that was never fully healthy, constantly banged up, and still expected to overachieve every night.

Stability in the NBA is a currency, and the Knicks just flushed five years of structure down the drain. If you’re firing a guy like Thibs, it better be because you’ve got someone better—not just different. Who’s on deck? A first-time coach? A trendy assistant? Good luck keeping this locker room on course.

And let’s not ignore the elephant in the room: Thibs’ departure opens the door for chaos. Front office overreach. Star discontent. Rebuilding culture. Again. I trust Leon Rose, but this is not a move I supported. The Knicks now begin a search for their 32nd head coach. Buckle up.