New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns was blasted in a viral social media post after Tom Thibodeau's firing. It's a new era in The Big Apple, and Leon Rose has made one of his most significant and controversial moves since taking over as president of basketball operations. Thibodeau has had a phenomenal tenure with the Knicks, which ended with him leading the franchise to its first Eastern Conference Finals since 2000. The Indiana Pacers subsequently kicked off New York's offseason with a series-clinching victory on Saturday.
Social media justifiably went off after this news was reported, with one post pointing to a common trend in Thibodeau's past two head coaching tenures. And this tweet on the Knicks' All-NBA center immediately went viral.
KAT got Thibs fired twice lmfaaaaooooooooo
— 👳🏼♂️ (@ItsNotAdamAtAll) June 3, 2025
Expand Tweet
The Knicks' next head coach is joining a franchise with title-or-bust expectations
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts with guard Jalen Brunson (11) during the third quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum.
Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Article Continues Below
The front office clarified with this decision that it is squarely in title-or-bust mode. The Knicks had a thrilling playoff run that included, to many, a shocking series win over the defending champion Boston Celtics. That victory gave the franchise a vital opportunity to play the lower-seeded Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Unfortunately, the Knicks did not seize that opportunity and now will have to watch their heated rival play in the NBA Finals.
Despite this run, this team never quite meshed throughout the 2024-25 season. Something always felt off from the 0-10 regular season record against the Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Oklahoma City Thunder, to Mikal Bridges' comments on playing time, to the fact that the starting unit was a net negative from January 1st. This group showed a certain grit and resilience for which Thibodeau deserves a lot of praise. However, to win a title, there has to be another gear, and the Knicks clearly believe another coach is more well-suited for that task.
And there is a history in the NBA of franchises moving on from very successful head coaches to take that championship-level step. The first situation that comes to mind is the Chicago Bulls moving on from Doug Collins to Phil Jackson. Another example is the Golden State Warriors' replacing Mark Jackson with Steve Kerr. Even the Cavaliers' decision to part ways with J.B. Bickerstaff and hire Kenny Atkinson has revealed a new gear to that team's core. Of course, the pressure is on the front office to get that next hire right, or there will be consequences.
Overall, Karl-Anthony Towns does not deserve blame for this firing. The Knicks center had a terrific first season and will be solely focused on building more chemistry with his teammates, particularly Jalen Brunson. Sometimes a new voice is needed in the room. It doesn't discredit what this team accomplished in 2025, and what Thibodeau achieved during his five years. But the pressure is on the players and the front office now more than ever. There is one goal in mind: breaking a 50+ year title drought. Anything else is a failure.