Gary Payton spoke about his thoughts on Tom Thibodeau’s recent firing from the New York Knicks.
The New York Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau this week in a shocking move. After taking the team to the first Eastern Conference Finals of the century, Thibodeau wanted the best in his future efforts.
Many criticized the Knicks for their statement on the issue. The firing of a respected head coach brought up these concerns.
Some went further, demanding action against the Knicks. But the decision was made and the Knicks certainly had a reason for that.
I had the opportunity to ask Gary Payton what he felt about Thibodeau’s shooting, and his answer on this issue was truly insightful.
At a press conference at Budxnba House in Mumbai, I asked Gary Payton about the New York Knicks firing Tom Thibodeau.
The former NBA champion said he was surprised by the decision and suspects Knicks owner James Dolan had the role. He also pointed out the shootings of Michael Malone and Taylor Jenkins.
“That’s a great question. I was surprised by it. This is business. When the owner goes to his office and says, ‘Can we go ahead and go where we are?”, the New York Knicks have had a lot of offseasons to get a lot of players to reach this level. ”
“I think he (Dolan) wants to win now. I don’t think that was fair with Thibodeau. I didn’t think (Michael) Malone’s shooting in Denver was fair.
“Both teams were very high in the meeting when they were fired. But it’s business. The ownership and people there – the Knicks top, I don’t think they’ll get any more, I think they need a different approach.
“I don’t blame the coach. I blame the players because we get players in situations and put them there. Then they have to play. Should they put them in the right position to succeed? Yes.”
Payton further explained why he felt that Thibodeau didn’t make any mistakes in the minutes he played the Knicks. As for the next coach, Globe wanted to book a decision until he saw how the Knicks played.
“A lot of people said they did the wrong thing by playing a player. It’s okay. But what are you trying to do? You’re trying to win. And I think he felt the team should win.
“When you move forward, there’s nothing wrong with the Knicks. Anyone who gets them, they’ll get a coach who can relate to Branson, Bridge and everyone. They have to.”
“But I think you need to have these players play for you. Is that the right player to get to the top right now? We don’t know. They’ve decided to blame the coach.
“I believe players have to come and perform. Let them play. I don’t know if a good coach will bring another culture there. Let’s take a look.
“Last year I thought they were supposed to beat Indiana. Indiana was just a better basketball team. It’s business. They did what they thought would be better for their New York Knickerbockers.
The New York Knicks reportedly have four candidates lined up to become their next head coach. Anyone who comes to replace Thibodeau faces tall orders trying to get the top of what he was with the Knicks.