A lot of people were shocked when Tom Thibodeau was fired as head coach of the New York Knicks.
The firing seemed so out of left field that even his competitors were caught off guard.
Speaking to the press, Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said that he didn’t believe the news when he saw it.
“The Knicks have such a unique situation with so much attention and such a large fanbase. It’s one of the most difficult jobs to take. When I first saw it, I thought it was one of those fake AI things. No way. There was no way possible. And I know how the players feel about him, too. Tom [Thibodeau] will certainly be fine. I don’t think he’s going to have any problem finding his next job. I have great respect for Thibs,” Carlisle said, via New York Basketball.
Rick Carlisle on Knicks firing Thibs: “…When I first saw it I thought it was one of those fake AI things. And I know how the players feel about him…Don’t think he’s going to have any problem finding his next job” pic.twitter.com/KVho1mwvTf
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) June 4, 2025
Carlisle is right, and Thibodeau will likely have another job coaching in the league within the next few years.
Despite his firing, most fans were actually quite happy with how he was doing.
He took the Knicks to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in more than 20 years and helped them become relevant again.
Obviously, the Knicks aren’t where they want to be, but they are so much better than they were.
The NBA is a tough business, and this sort of situation happens to coaches often.
Even Carlisle, who is about to coach his team through the NBA Finals, knows that his job is never 100 percent secure.
Thibodeau’s firing shows just how desperate the Knicks are to win, and it also shows that anything can happen in this league.
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