Tom Thibodeau wrote a heartwarming letter to the New York Knicks, but chose to ignore the person in charge who would take him.
The New York Knicks are heading in a new direction. After the squashed exit of the Eastern Conference Finals, the franchise made some dramatic changes.
The most notable of them is Tom Thibodeau’s firing. Despite taking the franchise to its first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years, the Knicks chose to say goodbye to the veteran head coach.
This move has earned a lot of backlash. Stephen A. Smith called for punishment for the Knicks for his treatment of Thibodeau.
The actions of owner James Dolan in the Knicks exit interview may have been a sign that this move was coming. But a week after the termination was announced, Tom Thibodeau finally broke his silence.
In today’s New York Times edition, James Dolan has taken out space for a letter to the New York Knicks.
In the letter, Thibodeau thanked the Knicks city, fans and players, calling the role he spent five years in his dream job. Interestingly, Thibodeau did not mention James Dolan, Leon Rose or anyone in the Knicks front office.
“Thank you. To the best city in the world with the best fans in the world: Thank you. When I was hired in 2020, I said this was my dream job. I’m grateful that my dream has come true.”
“I would like to thank the players and the coaching staff who gave them everything they had, and everyone who made this franchise special.”
“I’m proud of everything we’ve accomplished together, including four playoff appearances and a run to this year’s Eastern Conference Finals. It’s been 25 years.”
“And for fans, thank you for trusting me and for holding me from day one. Watching you support our team and seeing my garden ignite with unparalleled Knicks energy is something I will never forget.”
Fans can criticize Tom Thibodeau’s tenure with the New York Knicks. But there is no denying that he has brought them great success.
Impressively he left a record of 226 wins and 174 losses. During this time, he led the Knicks into the playoffs four times in five years. Before he arrived, the Knicks had not made the playoffs since 2013.
Having the coach lost his job after reaching the final of the meeting is a very bitter medicine to swallow. NBA legend Gary Payton didn’t understand Thibodeau’s firing because he believes he deserves a player due to his playoff disappointment.
Thibodeau will feel he deserves another chance to take this team to the NBA Finals. Meanwhile, the Knicks may feel they’ve reached as much as they can handle Thibodeau.
Some Knicks players will celebrate Thibodeau’s departure, but there is no denying that many others are unhappy with his exit.
Hopefully, the move turned out to be the right one for both Thibodeau and the Knicks. But for the time being, this decision will be quite painful for the former Knicks head coach.