Karl-Anthony Towns Shares A Knicks Tom Thibodeau Tribute After Coach’s Shocking Dismissal

Knicks star center Karl-Anthony Towns had a wordless reaction to Tuesday’s shocking news of New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau’s firing after the Knicks’ loss to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals.

The Knicks let go of Thibodeau from his coaching duties after five seasons.

“Our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans,” Knicks president Leon Rose said in a statement. “This pursuit led us to the difficult decision to inform Tom Thibodeau that we’ve decided to move in another direction. … We can’t thank Tom enough for pouring his heart and soul into each and every day of being the New York Knicks head coach.”

Taking to his Instagram Stories, Towns re-shared a Knicks tribute he posted on his page earlier in the week, but kept Tuesday’s focus on a smiling photo of himself and the 67-year-old former Knicks coach.

“This city. These fans. Thank you,” the 7-foot center penned in the post’s caption Monday. “The best is yet to come.”

The stunning shakeup followed the Knicks’ first Eastern Conference finals berth in 25 years.

In Game 6, Towns put up a quiet 22 points in the 125-108 season-ending loss at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The five-time All-Star averaged 24.4 points per game this season, 12.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists.

“It hurts to not bring an opportunity to the city for a championship,” Towns said Saturday. “We got a bunch of great guys in that locker room, and we hope to put ourselves in this position again.”

Towns was traded to the Knicks by the Minnesota Timberwolves in a blockbuster last fall. Thibodeau coached the Timberwolves during the early days of Towns’ career before taking the Knicks job in 2020.

UConn’s Danny Hurley and former Knicks associate head coach Johnnie Bryant top the early list of potential candidates for the job.