Tom Thibodeau, New York Knicks
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Tom Thibodeau, New York Knicks
After being eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals, the New York Knicks opted to fire Tom Thibodeau.
The veteran head coach had been in charge of the Knicks for five seasons. During his tenure, he turned the franchise from a struggling roster into a powerhouse in the East. Nevertheless, Mike Brown is the man being entrusted with taking the Knicks one step further and challenging for a championship.
During a recent appearance on the “Club Shay Shay” podcast, championship-winning head coach Tyronn Lue shared his thoughts on the Knicks’ front office choosing to part ways with Thibodeau. Lue is currently the head coach of the LA Clippers.
“The city was on fire, the fans were on fire, the players did a hell of a job, and Thibs did a hell of a job,” Lue said. “It just doesn’t make sense. I thought Thibs did a great job.”
"The city was on fire, the fans were on fire, the players did a hell of a job and Thibs did a hell of a job… It just doesn't make sense. I thought Thibs did a great job."
– Tyronn Lue speaks on the firing of Tom Thibodeau 😳
(Via @ClubShayShay) pic.twitter.com/q8dTjlCGSg
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 28, 2025
In truth, Thibodeau had likely earned another shot at taking the Knicks to the NBA Finals. This past season, he was dealing with a wave of new talent and figuring out how to make his system work. Firing him after such a successful playoff run made limited sense.
Dawn Staley Would Have Taken The Job
Earlier this summer, the Knicks interviewed Dawn Staley for the head coaching job. And while Staley didn’t win the gig, she has since revealed that she would have accepted the role had it been offered.
“I would have had to do it. Not just for me. For women. To break [that door] open,” Staley said on the “Post Moves” podcast with WNBA star Aliyah Boston and former WNBA great Candace Parker, via ESPN. “I would have had to. It’s the New York Knicks. I’m from Philly. But it’s the freaking New York Knicks.”
Ultimately, New York opted to go with Mike Brown, fresh off some impressive years with the Sacramento Kings. Nevertheless, Staley is more than qualified to lead an NBA roster and may find herself attending more interviews as jobs open up around the league.
Karl-Anthony Towns Already Met With Mike Brown
In an August 18 appearance on the “7PM in Brooklyn” podcast, Karl-Anthony Towns detailed his first meeting with Brown since he became the Knicks head coach.
“I just came from having a two-hour dinner with Mike Brown to here,” Towns said. “So, I literally came straight from there to here. We never actually had a conversation with each other. So, that was the first time we actually met. We actually got to speak, talk about the team, you know, get to actually know each other.”
Towns continued.
“When you get into this, we have a chance to win a championship and it’s only going to really happen if everyone’s connected and everyone has to be fully invested into each other and into our goals. So, kind of just really getting to know him, getting to know him, his people, you know, the way he likes to play basketball, the way he wants to coach, the way he wants to operate practices and everything.”
Both Towns and Jalen Brunson will have key roles to play in the Knicks’ push for a championship. Brown is also has a deep and talented roster at his disposal. Unfortunately for him, he must at least make the conference finals; otherwise, questions will be raised about the decision to fire Thibodeau.
And while those questions would be valid, none of that would be Brown’s fault.