Brunson laments Thibodeau’s departure from Knicks: “It meant a lot”

Brunson laments Thibodeau’s departure from the Knicks

Jalen Brunson expressed his sadness over Tom Thibodeau’s departure from the New York Knicks, a relationship that extends from childhood. Brunson spoke publicly for the first time since the Knicks fired Thibodeau in June, after five years of work, including the team’s first appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals since the year 2000.

“Obviously it’s sad to see a man I’ve known for a long time separate from this organization,” Brunson said.

Jalen Brunson

The connection between Brunson and Thibodeau goes back to childhood, as Jalen’s father, Rick, has been Thibodeau’s assistant with the Knicks and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Rick also played under Thibodeau when he was an assistant with the Knicks and the Houston Rockets. Since his arrival at the Knicks three years ago, Brunson has become one of the league’s most outstanding players, being an All-Star and All-NBA in consecutive seasons. In addition, he has led New York to victories in playoff series for three seasons in a row for the first time in a generation, including last year’s conference finals. Despite these achievements, Thibodeau was fired shortly after the Knicks lost in six games against the Indiana Pacers on the doorstep of the NBA Finals. Brunson, averaging 26.4 points per game in his three seasons under Thibodeau and named NBA Clutch Player of the Year last season, responded affirmatively when asked if Thibodeau was the right coach for the team.

Jalen Brunson averaged 26.4 points per game in his three seasons under Tom Thibodeau and was an All-Star in each of the last two seasons. Brunson, like the rest of the Knicks, shows optimism about the arrival of the new coach, Mike Brown. The Knicks have also made significant changes after the success in the playoffs, including the incorporation of Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges last summer. Josh Hart, who also forged a strong relationship with Thibodeau, highlighted his appreciation for the coach and expressed his optimism about the future with Brown.

“Obviously, I love Thibs. I’m always going to have love for Thibs for the things he helped me with and putting me in a position to get paid. So I’ll always have love for him. I hope he does well right now. But obviously, we have Mike and we’re really excited about what he brings offensively and defensively. Obviously, there’s going to be a little bit of an adjustment period, but we’re excited. We’re excited about what this team has, what this team can be,” Hart commented.

Josh Hart