Knicks Fire Head Coach Derek Fisher

The New York Knicks have fired head coach Derek Fisher as the team is nearing the All-Star Break with a 23-31 record.

The Knicks have lost 9 of their last 10 games, including their last 5. Fisher’s last game as head coach was a 101-96 loss to the Denver Nuggets.  Fisher was hired by team president Phil Jackson in 2014 following his retirement from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Fisher was a point guard for 5 NBA Championship winning Los Angeles Lakers teams, all coached by Jackson.

Sources told ESPN that the team was convinced the Fisher, 41, was not transitioning well from player to coach.  Jackson said he and general manager Steve Mills made the final call on Fisher. “I know it’s a relief for him, taking away some of that stress from the job,” Jackson said. “It’s also a person I have a long relationship with and care deeply about and hope for his success. It’s time for us to make a change, turn this team around and move forward and get some wins and keep going down the road we started here at the beginning of the year.”

Fisher, 41, finishes his Knicks coaching career with a record of 40-96, he expressed gratitude towards Knicks personnel in a statement, “I want to express my deepest gratitude to [owner] James Dolan, Phil Jackson, [general manager] Steve Mills and the entire New York Knicks organization for giving me this incredible opportunity.  I also want to thank my staff, players and the fans for their passion and support. This is a very talented team with strong character and I am confident they will succeed. Obviously, I’m disappointed, but have learned an immense amount from this experience and hope to grow from it.”

Assistant coach Kurt Rambis, who previously coached the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lakers, will take over as interim coach. Rambis has a career coaching record of 56-145. Despite the record, Rambis brings a championship pedigree that cannot be denied, he has won eight championships, 4 as a player and 4 as a coach or executive.

Two other former players for Jackson, Luke Walton, who helped coach Golden State to a 39-4 start under coach Steve Kerr’s absence, and Brian Shaw, who has previous coaching experience with the Nuggets, are expected to be the top candidates for the full time Knicks coaching job.

The Knicks’ last game before the All-Star Break is tonight, Feb. 9, at Madison Square Garden against the Washingon Wizards at 7 p.m.  New York currently sits 3rd in the Atlantic Division and 12th in the Eastern Conference, 4.5 games back of the Detroit Pistons for the eighth and final playoff spot.