Ben Stiller; Tom Thibodeau
Ben Stiller; Tom Thibodeau.
The New York Knicks continue to pull on Ben Stiller's heart strings.
After his team was eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in the eastern conference finals on May 31, the Knicks announced on Tuesday, June 3, that they've parted ways with their legendary coach Tom Thibodeau — and Stiller, who sat courtside during the Knicks' deep run this postseason, immediately reacted to the shocking decision.
"I am a Tom Thibodeau fan. He brought this team back," Stiller, 59, wrote in a post on X following the announcement. "Felt he gave every bit of himself and was always looking to improve," the actor continued.
Stiller said he will "always be grateful for how far he brought the Knicks," in his tribute to Thibodeau, who was hired by the team during the 2020-21 season. Stiller credited Thibodeau with making the Knicks "relevant again" and added, "They are championship contenders again. The Knicks became winners again with him."
Concluding his first post, Stiller wrote, "Thank you COACH THIBS."
Head Coach Tom Thibodeau of the New York Knicks talks to his players during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on March 6, 2025 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California.
Head Coach Tom Thibodeau of the New York Knicks talks to his players during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on March 6, 2025 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California.
In a second post on X after the news of Thibodeau's departure, Stiller wrote, "We should all take Thibs out to dinner and thank him profusely one by one for the incredible work of the last 5 years and the excitement we have all felt that we didn’t feel for a long time before he arrived."
"Respect and wishing him great success," Stiller added with a gif of the former Knicks coach smiling during a press conference.
The Knicks parted ways with Thibodeau after losing to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals this postseason. It was the first time New York had made it to the third round since 2000.
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In a statement on Tuesday, Knicks president Leon Rose said, "Our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans. This pursuit led us to the difficult decision to inform Tom Thibodeau that we've decided to move in another direction."
Rose continued, "We can't thank Tom enough for pouring his heart and soul into each and every day of being the New York Knicks head coach," and praised Thibodeau for his "class and professionalism" in the statement. "Ultimately, we made the decision we feel is best for our organization moving forward," he said.