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(New York, NY) – There was a buzz on social media Monday. Accounts and content creators connected to the New York Knicks were fanning the flames on rumors that something was coming. Something big. Some speculated their beloved basketball club could be on the cusp of a trade.
Could Giannis Antetokounmpo end up in orange and blue? But the NBA Finals have yet to be played. No trade could be announced. No, this would have to be something else. And it was. A shocking (but perhaps unsurprising upon deeper examination) move had been announced. Head coach Tom Thibodeau had been fired as the Knicks’ head coach.
An assistant for New York in 1999-2000 when the club went to the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, Thibodeau just led the team to their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since that year — ultimately watching this version of the Knicks fall in six games to the hated Indiana Pacers.


Perhaps the period of vast highs under which Thibodeau helped helm the club back into contention was overshadowed by some down moments. And perhaps none were more down or cataclysmic than the Knicks still inexplicable and nausea-inducing loss in game one to those Pacers. Did Thibs tell his guys to get up on the Indiana players as they were bombing threes with nary a hand in their face, watching the lead melt away in mere moments on that day? Did his notorious tendency to not play his bench factor into all the missed free throws — with Knicks’ players legs sapped after a long season?
Still, the Knicks did beat the heavily-favored Boston Celtics, albeit the Jayson Tatum injury. He did lead the team to the playoffs in four out of the five seasons he coached them. In 2021 he was named head coach of the year. Numerous fans and pundits will tell you he led the Knicks out of the dark ages and back into NBA relevancy. So was it really the correct move to fire him? It almost sounds crazy the more you write it out.
Yet there are reasons beyond the game one loss in the ECF. Despite star and team leader Jalen Brunson’s love for Thibs, and the fact players like Josh Hart have played some of the best basketball of their career under the now-exited coach, there are flaws. The Knicks seemed unable to generate much offense during the series with Indiana unless Brunson and Karl Anthony-Towns were creating their own shot. Thibodeau then attempted to get Brunson off the ball by having Mikal Bridges bring up the ball, but then when the Pacers put on the full court press and exposed Bridges’ deficiencies with ball handling — there was no follow-up adjustment.
The entire Indiana series played at a frenetic pace — playing to Indiana’s strengths — and New York predictably struggled to keep up, often turning the ball over. Should Thibodeau have had the ability to overcome that? Debates will abound throughout the long, painful offseason — and its still been more than 50 years since the club celebrated a championship down the Canyon of Heroes.


Plus, reports have emerged surrounding some dissention in the ranks. Immediately after the team lost game six, a hit-piece was published about how the club didn’t get enough out of KAT. And how the team didn’t communicate properly, or know their roles, or whatever. Even Bridges sounded semi critical discussing his tendency to play so many minutes under Thibs, which is a long-standing criticism of the veteran coach. To his credit, Thibodeau did go deeper into his bench than some might have expected toward the end of the Indiana series.
Alright — where do the Knicks go from here? Some names are flashier than others. It’s a poorly-kept secret the club covets Miami Heat heac coach Erik Spoelstra. Maybe he could be acquired in some kind of deal with old friend Pat Riley. Former Nuggets coach Michael Malone is out there. What about former Knicks (and Pacers) guard Mark Jackson? Despite having success with the Golden State Warriors over a decade ago, he hasn’t had a head coaching gig since 2014. Even Metta World Peace (Ron Artest) threw his hat in the ring. He was born in Queens, and in a social media post, said he would “challenge” the city.
All due credit to all the potential candidates, there’s only one name that really makes sense. Given the “Villanova” vibe that runs through the Knicks right now — with Brunson, Hart, and Bridges all having played together for the Wildcats in college — their former head coach is the right guy to bring in. No pun intended — Jay Wright should absolutely get the job. He knows the team’s core implicitly, has had success with them before, and has been considered for NBA jobs in the past.


That said — if Rick Pitino decides he wants back at MSG — and moves from Queens via St. John’s to Manhattan? Well, that would be the kind of headline and story you wouldn’t pass up. Not for a New York minute.
No matter what, Knicks Forever. Go NY, Go NY, Go. And Thanks, Thibs. For everything.