Knicks reportedly fire Tom Thibodeau days after Eastern Conference finals defeat | New York Knicks

The New York Knicks have fired coach Tom Thibodeau days after their loss in the Eastern Conference finals, according to multiple reports.

The Knicks beat the defending champions, the Boston Celtics, during their run to the Conference finals but fell short of the NBA finals after a 4-2 series loss to the Indiana Pacers. Thibodeau’s in-game decisions were questioned by some during the series, but the conference finals run was the team’s first since 2000.

The 67-year-old had previously been head coach of the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves. He had been Knicks coach since 2020, and had led them to the postseason in four of his five seasons in New York.

The decision was made by team president Leon Rose with approval from owner Jim Dolan, according to Associated Press sources.

Many may see it as a strange decision by the Knicks, who had been one of the league’s worst franchises for most of the 2000s until Thibodeau was hired. He promptly led the Knicks to the playoffs in his first season, winning his second NBA Coach of the Year award, and they have been a solid contender in the East in recent seasons.

After they were eliminated on Saturday, captain Jalen Brunson expressed his support for Thibodeau, bristling at a question about whether he believed the coach was right for the team. Three days later, Thibodeau was gone with a 226-174 record in New York. He has the fourth-most wins by a Knicks coach.