Tom Thibodeau Says Goodbye to the Knicks with Emotional Announcement
After being fired by the New York Knicks, former coach Tom Thibodeau published a full-page ad in The New York Times, expressing his gratitude to the players, coaches, and fans of the team. The ad, in black and white, shows a photograph of Thibodeau on the court at Madison Square Garden. The initial message is clear: “To the best city in the world with the best fans in the world: Thank you.” In his first public statement since leaving, Thibodeau revealed that coaching the Knicks, the team he supported since childhood, was his dream job. Let’s remember that he was an assistant coach for the team in the 90s under Jeff Van Gundy, and was later hired as head coach in 2020 by the team president, Leon Rose.Under the direction of 67-year-old Thibodeau, the fourth coach with the most wins in franchise history, the Knicks achieved consecutive 50-win seasons for the first time since the 1993-94 and 1994-95 campaigns. Surprisingly, the third-seeded Knicks eliminated the defending champion Boston Celtics in the conference semifinals this postseason, but then fell to Indiana in their first conference finals appearance in 25 years. In the club’s statement announcing Thibodeau’s dismissal, Rose began by saying: “Our organization is focused on winning a championship for our fans.” The Knicks are in the process of finding a replacement. According to reports, former Villanova coach Jay Wright, who won college national titles with current Knicks stars Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart, informed them that he would not be interested in the position. They were also rejected by the Houston Rockets and the Minnesota Timberwolves after requesting permission to speak with coaches Ime Udoka and Chris Finch, respectively, about the vacancy. The Knicks also requested permission on Wednesday morning to speak with Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, and Dallas gave them a firm no.And to the fans, thank you for believing in me and accepting me from day one. Seeing you support our team and seeing the Garden light up with that incomparable energy of the Knicks is something I will never forget.
Tom Thibodeau
