Knicks Fire Tom Thibodeau

The same maniacal attention to detail that was part of Thibs' DNA—the obstinate insistence on winning every second of every quarter of every regular-season game- ultimately led to his downfall.

We got confirmation this afternoon that the New York Knicks have fired head coach Tom Thibodeau. It was surely a tough decision for team president Leon Rose, who has had a long, fruitful relationship with Thibs.

Not to mention the fact that New York has enjoyed its most prolonged stretch of success this century since hiring Thibodeau in 2020 

And let's start there. Thibs deserves significant credit for helping turn around what was a moribund organization. 

Over Thibodeau's five years with the club, the Knicks posted a cumulative 226-174 (.565) record, making him the fourth-winningest coach in franchise history. Thibodeau recorded his 500th career win in January, and in April, he surpassed Pat Riley on the Knicks' all-time list. He trails only Jeff Van Gundy, Joe Lapchick, and Red Holzman. Thibs has also presided over 24 postseason wins, the fifth-most among Knicks coaches. 

Yet, to fully appreciate the job Thibs did in New York, it's imperative to understand just how low the franchise had fallen before he was handed the reins.

In 2019-20, the Knicks fired David Fizdale after he lost 18 of the team's first 22 games. Mike Miller served as interim head coach for the rest of the season, and New York finished with a 21-45 record. It was the seventh consecutive season the Knicks finished with a record below .500. Over the first two decades of this century, the Knicks lost more games than any other team in the league. They employed 13 different head coaches, none of whom lasted more than three full seasons. 

Thibodeau won 79 more regular-season games than New York's previous FIVE head coaches combined. 

Thibodeau won 17 more playoff games than the franchise's TWELVE previous head coaches combined.