The New York Knicks just finished off their best season in the past 25 years. They got within two games of a NBA Finals appearance, and a toe's length away from winning game one and sending this series to at least a game seven, but despite all of that success this week the Knicks fired their head coach.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau was relieved of his duties and Knicks fans are left shaking their heads. The decision was a quick one by the front office and comes just three days after the Knicks lost in game six to the Indiana Pacers.
Thibodeau led the Knicks to back-to-back 50-win seasons, which hasn't happened since 1995, and he even sits 4th on their all-time wins list. By every metric Thibs was good for this franchise and was a successful coach, but the Knicks front office wanted more.
"Our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans," team president Leon Rose said in a statement. "This pursuit led us to the decision to inform Tom Thibodeau that we've decided to move in another direction. We can't thank Tom enough for pouring his heart and soul into each and every day of being the New York Knicks head coach. Thibodeau being released after making the conference or division finals or NBA Finals seems like a knee jerk reaction, but he is not alone as this has happened 30+ times over the years. It seems the Knicks didn't believe he could get over the hump and bring the Big Apple a championship and they see an opportunity with the Celtics already limping into next season. Thibs has a .579 career win percentage as a head coach, the highest by any coach without a Finals appearance in NBA history.
What's next for the Knicks? We will find out soon but there will be a bullseye on his back and anything but a Finals appearance will be a cause of questioning this decision.