Tom Thibodeau fired as New York Knicks head coach after playoff exit

New York Knicks fans have mixed emotions when it comes to the latest information that has been confirmed in all media.

Tom Thibodeau is no longer the coach of the New York Knicks, famous NBA insider Shams Charania wrote on the X on Tuesday evening.

The club from "Madison Square Garden" decided to terminate cooperation with the 67-year-old specialist after elimination in the semi-finals of the playoffs of the Eastern Conference against the Indiana Pacers (2-4 in the series).

According to the source, the management of Nicks believes that it is time for a new direction because it believes that the team has the potential to fight for the title, and that a change of coach is the key next step towards that goal.

Thibodeau leaves behind results, but no trophies

Thibodeau took over New York in 2020 and led the team to the playoffs four times in five seasons. Under his leadership, the Knicks reached the East Finals last season for the first time since 2000, which was a huge success for a franchise that had been outside the league's mainstream for years.

Although he has stable results behind him, Thibodeau was unable to bring the club back into the fight for the title. New York is now looking for a coach to bring offensive balance and develop young stars like Jaylen Branson, while Thibodeau has been mentioned as a possible solution for several other NBA teams looking for an experienced leader with a defensive approach.

Coaching path

Thibodeau began his coaching career as an assistant at universities, and his first significant engagement was as an assistant coach with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1989. Later, he was part of the professional staffs in San Antonio, Philadelphia, New York and Houston, but he experienced a real rise as an assistant in Boston, where he won the NBA title in 2008 as the "brain of the defense" of the famous Celtics with Garnet, Pierce and Allen.

As head coach, he led the Chicago Bulls (2010–2015) and was a participant in the East Finals in 2011 and Minnesota (2016–2019). He led Wolves into the playoffs after 13 seasons.