Despite Tom Thibodeau leading the New York Knicks to their first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years, the head coach failed to secure his job.
Right after the Knicks‘ humiliating conference finals exit, the front office decided to fire coach Thibodeau.
The NBA community is divided by this decision. After all, in just five seasons, coach Thibs took a team that had missed playoffs seven years in a row and led them to the postseason in four out of those five seasons.
But were the Knicks wrong to fire him? If anonymous players are to be believed, maybe, because Tom Thibodeau had reportedly lost trust in his locker room.
New York Knicks players called out Tom Thibodeau’s ‘inability to adjust’
Trusting the starters is important for any head coach to succeed in the NBA. However, that doesn’t mean neglecting the role players.
Unfortunately, that’s what happened to the team during the 2024-25 NBA season as coach Thibodeau rewarded certain Knicks players with massive minutes, while the rest barely enjoyed consistent playing time.
In fact, in a recent report by Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports, a few Knicks players anonymously shared their criticism about Thibodeau.
“A couple of players felt like Thibodeau played the starters too many minutes and felt he had an inability to adjust, sources said, and another player said he didn’t feel like he could play for Thibodeau if the coach returned next season,” Goodwill wrote.
Considering that the current Knicks roster is the best that the team has had in years, it was no surprise that the top brass decided to fire Thibodeau.
After all, no matter how good Thibs was, a team cannot make much of an impact in the playoffs without using their quality roster to its full potential.
Photo by J. Conrad Williams Jr./Newsday RM via Getty ImagesGary Payton was correct to ‘blame the players’ for Tom Thibodeau’s sacking
Since the sacking news was made public, many specialists have shared their opinion on the real reason behind coach Thibodeau’s firing. Brian Windhorst believes GM Leon Rose’s decision played a role in it.
Others have blamed owner James Dolan for the same. However, it was none other than former NBA star Gary Payton who correctly predicted the reason for the decision.
In an exclusive interview with the NBA Analysis Network, Payton blamed the players for Thibs’ firing.
“I don’t blame coaches. I blame players. Because we get players in situations and put them there. Then they have to perform,” Payton said.
At the end of the day, the players won this battle as Thibodeau is no longer with the organization, and the Knicks are actively searching for his replacement before the 2025-26 season.