The news that Tom Thibodeau has been released from his head coaching mission has come as a major shock to many in the NBA community.
Tom Thibodeau was with the New York Knicks for five years, and although he couldn’t help them win the championship, his stint brought many joy to New York City.
He led the franchise to its first meeting final in 25 years a few days ago, but the Knicks decided to make a decision for several reasons.
The only coaches who have played the role longer than he is now in the NBA are Steve Kerr and Erik Spoelstra.
For over a decade, Kerr and Spolstra have led the heat of the Golden State Warriors and Miami, respectively.
However, there were other great names that had long tenure on NBA teams.
Holtzman coached the Knicks for 15 seasons and helped win two NBA championships in 1970 and 1973.
His coaching career began with the Rochester Royals, but he later became a scout before being caught up in the ropes by the Knicks as coach.
Holtzmann once won the Coach of the Year Award during his stay with the Knicks, and the team retired from Jersey 613 – the number of wins he has as a coach for the team – to celebrate his success with them.
Spoelstra is currently the longest serving coach in the NBA.
The 54-year-old went his own way, from video coordinator to becoming a franchise championship-winning coach.
He led them to the championships twice in a row in 2013 and 2014, but has done a great job in the last few years, helping the franchise compete despite the lack of stars in the team.
Although in the past five years, Heat has traveled multiple times to the NBA Finals and requires a lot of credits to go to Spoelstra.
Auerbach is the second most successful coach in NBA history and has won nine championships.
All of his victories came with the Boston Celtics.
He won the Coach of the Year Award in 1965 and retired as coach the following year.
However, his contribution to the Celtics continued to help him serve as their general manager and win seven more championships.
After a brilliant career, Auerbach was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1969.
Sloan has a great career with the Chicago Bulls, receiving two All-Stars and multiple All-Defence team selections.
His jersey number four retired to the franchise, and he coached again for three years before moving to the Utah Jazz for 23 seasons.
Sloan led the team to two NBA Finals, but lost to his previous side, or on which occasion, against the Bulls.
He helped create the huge duo of John Stockton and Carl Malone, but despite their best efforts, the jazz couldn’t overcome the hurdles.
Sloan’s coaching stint ended in 2011, and he retired with a regular in 1223 and a postseason victory.
The team praised him by raising 1223 banners on the rafters.
Greg Popovich’s historic stint when the San Antonio Spurs head coach finished this season.
He announced he would resign from his coaching role, but announced he would remain on the team as president of basketball operations.
Popovich’s 29 seasons as head coach brought five championships, bringing multiple Hall of Famers to the franchise.
His elite mentality and human management help him develop the young star, and while many often criticize him, what Popovich did in San Antonio remains special.
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2023 for his contribution to the game, but as Spurs president, Popovich still plays a major role, helping to create a special team with Victor Wenbagnama and Dearon Fox.