- The New York Knicks fired head coach Tom Thibodeau after five seasons at the helm
- Thibodeau led the Knicks to four playoff appearances and their first East Finals since 1999–2000
- Knicks won four playoff series under Thibodeau, more than they had managed in total since 2000
Key Takeaways:
The New York Knicks have taken a bold and unexpected step – they have fired head coach Tom Thibodeau, despite one of the franchise’s strongest stretches in decades.
The team from the largest city in the United States just wrapped up its best season in the past 25 years, reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1990. There, the Knicks were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in six games.
Tom Thibodeau leaves New York with four playoff series wins.
The Knicks had just one playoff series win since 2000 before Thibs arrived 😳 pic.twitter.com/vAMkDibYgd
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 3, 2025
Thibodeau spent five seasons at the helm, during which he led the team to the playoffs in four of those five years. Under his leadership, the Knicks secured four playoff series wins – a remarkable feat considering the franchise had managed just one series win since 2000 and prior to his arrival. He also guided New York to back-to-back 50+ win seasons for the first time since the 1990s.
Despite this resurgence, the Knicks’ management decided to move in a new direction. According to reports, the organisation’s ultimate goal is to win the championship, and leadership no longer believed Thibodeau was the coach to deliver it. A replacement has not yet been named.