The New York Knicks have released an official statement on the firing of head coach Tom Thibodeau.
More Knicks news:Knicks Shockingly Fire HC Tom Thibodeau Following Playoff Exit
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"Our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fansz This pursuit led us to the difficult decision to inform Tom Thibodeau that we've decided to move in another direction," said Knicks president Leon Rose. " we can't think Tom enough for pouring his heart and soul into each and every day of being the New York Knicks head coach.
"He let us to not only with class and professionalism for the past five years, but also to tremendous success on the court with four playoff berths and four playoff series victories. Ultimately, we made the decision we feel is best for our organization moving forward. Tom will always be part of our Knicks family and we truly wish him nothing but the best in the future."
The Knicks were eliminated in six games by the Eastern Conference champions, the Indiana Pacers, in the conference finals. Even though Thibodeau guided the Knicks past the reigning champion Boston Celtics in the second round and brought New York to its first conference finals in 25 years, it still wasn't enough to secure his future.
Throughout his tenure, the Knicks often resembled the gritty, hard-nosed teams of the past. Under Thibodeau, New York posted a 250–197 record, good for a 55.9 percent win rate, and made four playoff appearances, earning four series wins along the way.
The seven years preceding Thibodeau's hiring were a nightmare for the team and its fans. In that span, they recorded an overall record of 184-374, winning 33 percent of their games and having zero playoff appearances.
This summer was already scheduled to be a monumental one for the Knicks, and things just took a mighty left turn. New York will have their options at head coach, and it should be an entertaining head coaching search.
New York clearly has the pieces to make a deep playoff run and be a contender in the coming years. As far as the roster goes, they are led by Knicks star Jalen Brunson, and while they have Karl-Anthony Towns on their side, his future in the Big Apple is uncertain.
Thibodeau might also be highly sought after in this coaching cycle.