Last week, the New York Knicks made the big announcement that they had fired head coach Tom Thibodeau.
The news was shocking to a lot of people around the NBA.
Recently, Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley gave his thoughts on the decision (via The Next Round).
Barkley: “Everybody was shocked. They were better than last year, and they were two games away from the Finals and they got beat by a better team, so I think people were shocked. It’s a really good job… It’s the New York Knicks.”
The Knicks were the third seed in the Eastern Conference with a 51-31 record.
They beat the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics in the first two rounds of the NBA playoffs (before losing to the Indiana Pacers).
That said, Thibodeau helped get the franchise back to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000.
ESPN’s Shams Charania wrote (on June 3): “BREAKING: The New York Knicks are relieving Tom Thibodeau of his duties as head coach, sources tell ESPN. Thibodeau led the Knicks to their first East Finals in 25 years, made playoffs in 4 of 5 years and led Knicks to consecutive 50+ win seasons for first time since the 1990s.”
The job opening for the Knicks will be among the most coveted.
In addition to playing in the biggest market, they also have an elite roster featuring Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby.
Via Ben Stiller: “I am a Tom Thibodeau fan. He brought this team back. I felt he gave every bit of himself and was always looking to improve. I will always be grateful for how far he brought the Knicks. They are relevant again. They are championship contenders again. The Knicks became winners again with him.
Thank you COACH THIBS.”
