Since firing Tom Thibodeau, the New York Knicks’ coaching search has been a bit of a disaster. And they’re getting blasted for it.
During Wednesday night’s NBA Finals Game 3 coverage on NBA TV, Hall of Famer Charles Barkley roasted the Knicks for how they’ve handled their coaching search.
“The Knicks gotta be the stupidest damn people in the world,” Barkley said.
The Knicks fired Thibodeau after a run to the Eastern Conference Finals, their best playoff performance in years. Since then, New York has attempted to interview multiple current head coaches for their opening, including former Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka.
The Knicks have reportedly been turned down at every pass. Now, it’s unclear who New York envisioned to replace Thibodeau.
“You don’t fire no good coach like that and don’t have a plan. I mean, Thibs did a hell of a job,” Barkley said. “Obviously something’s going on there. But you don’t have a plan? Now, the three coaches turn you down. You’ve gotta have a plan, man. And they don’t have a plan Now, I don’t know what the hell they’re going to do.”
In addition to Udoka, the Knicks have reportedly been denied interviews with four other current NBA coaches. New York also reportedly had interest in UConn coach Dan Hurley and retired former Villanova coach Jay Wright – to no avail.