The Knicks fired head coach Tom Thibodeau after five years, during which the franchise achieved back-to-back 50-win seasons for the first time since 1995. New York upset the defending champion Celtics but came up short in the Eastern Conference Finals against the young Indiana Pacers.
Here’s how social media reacted to the end of Thibs’ reign in the Big Apple:
Tom Thibodeau signed a three-year, $30M extension through the 2027-28 season.
The Knicks fired him before it even kicked in 😳 pic.twitter.com/JRTWsDjRdo
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 3, 2025
“It might have to be Michael Malone. I mean when you talk about championship experience, what other coach is out there?”@KendrickPerkins thinks the former Denver Nuggets head coach could be a good fit for the New York Knicks 👀 pic.twitter.com/9v3zSUOSOu
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 3, 2025
Who’s going to be the next coach of the Knicks?
Johnnie Bryant +240Kenny Atkinson +400Mike Budenholzer +600James Borrego +700Sam Cassell +850Frank Vogel +1100Mark Jackson +1200Mike D’Antoni +2000Jeff Van Gundy +2200Becky Hammon +2500 pic.twitter.com/0FKPLL5psJ
— Bovada (@BovadaOfficial) June 3, 2025
I want every bit of the smoke in NYC. I’m 100% in and ready to HEAD COACH the great @nyknicks .
Queens bred.Dominated my Highschool era.Three championship at the Rucker and never lost one at Rucker.3 Championships at the real Gershwin when there was no security.Lots more…
— Coach Metta (@MettaWorld37) June 3, 2025
Knicks before Thibs:❎ No culture❎ .309 win% 6 yrs, worst NBA❎ No playoffs 7 years
Knicks under Thibs:✅ Culture✅ .565 win% 5 yrs – 8th NBA✅ 4 of 5 playoffs / ECF 2025
Thank you Thibs pic.twitter.com/kFNlDpAI05
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) June 3, 2025
We should all take Thibs out to dinner and thank him profusely one by one for the incredible work of the last 5 years and the excitement we have all felt that we didn’t feel for a long time before he arrived. Respect and wishing him great success. 🙌💙🧡🙌 pic.twitter.com/z2A2rReK75
— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) June 3, 2025
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…
— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) June 3, 2025
Kevin Love on Instagram:
“James Dolan bringing Thibs into his office after he took the Knicks to their first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years…”
LeBron James in the comment: “🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣” pic.twitter.com/ka4p6BBxHl
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) June 3, 2025
Thibs no doubt will always be a Knicks legend though
— Wilson Chandler (@wilsonchandler) June 3, 2025
Tom Thibodeau was the most successful head coach that the Knicks have had in a long, long time.
How do we feel about his firing? pic.twitter.com/uh1UEOkjKO
— KnicksMuse (@KnicksMuse) June 3, 2025
Thibs got a team where the two best players can’t defend a traffic cone to the ECF.
Overachieved with a flawed roster.
Do not agree.
— Justin Termine (@TermineRadio) June 3, 2025
WOW WOW WOW. I can’t believe the NY Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau was fired today after leading the Knicks to the Eastern Conference Finals! 🤯 The biggest question is why was he fired? Now, who will be the next coach of the Knicks?
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 3, 2025
Pretty hard to justify firing a coach who won four playoff series in three years when the Knicks had won a single playoff series in the prior 22 years.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) June 3, 2025
major credit to Thibs for helping elevate the Knicks from a league-wide laughingstock when he first arrived to a legit contender by the time he left.
He helped instill a serious, winning culture that has carried thru to this day
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) June 3, 2025
a lot of people don’t watch New York Knicks basketball and it’s evident as hell, especially today
— Ashley Nicole Moss (@AshNicoleMoss) June 3, 2025
Firing Tom Thibodeau is a tough call but the right choice. Had all year to experiment with two-big lineups. He didn’t, even after Mitchell Robinson returned. Had all year to install layers to the offense, and he never did. Knicks need a more creative coach to take the next step.
— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) June 3, 2025
Thibs took a team that had Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges and built an offense that doesn’t shoot threes.
He had the best two-man game in basketball for two months and then they just… stopped.
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) June 3, 2025
Basketball, Knicks, NBA, Coaching, New York Knicks, Tom Thibodeau
