Tom Thibodeau Firing By Knicks Has Been ‘Brewing For Months’

The New York Knicks’ decision to fire head coach Tom Thibodeau after the team’s most successful playoff run in 25 years came as a shock to people outside the organization, but according to a new report from ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, that might not have been the case inside the organization, where concerns regarding Thibodeau and his future leading the team had been allegedly percolating for some time.

One source told ESPN that the choice to replace Thibodeau “had been trending in that direction for months,” Shelburne wrote. “The team simply wasn’t maximizing its talent, despite having two All-NBA players in [Jalen] Brunson and [Karl-Anthony] Towns. And after meeting with the select group of players and coaches this week, sources said, it was clear to [Leon] Rose that the organization needed a new voice.”

“He got outcoached,” a source said. “The Game 1 collapse was insane. If they don’t have that collapse, who knows what happens.”

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon described members of the Knicks’ front office who wanted Thibodeau gone “a while ago” on a Thursday appearance on the Dan Patrick Show.

“There was a pretty large function within that front office that wanted to get him fired a while ago, and finally got its way,” MacMahon said.

One source told Shelburne that Knicks players “hadn’t turned on Thibodeau,” but the Eastern Conference finals loss had caused doubt that he could lead the team as far as the NBA Finals.

Some of the concern and critique surrounding Thibodeau centered on his reluctance to rely on his bench with star forward Mikal Bridges publicly stating as much back in March, though Thibodeau denied the pair even spoke about it.

It would seem that his decision-making both during and outside of the Eastern Conference finals, as well as doubts regarding his ability to produce a title, have caught up to him.