Celtics Bring in Fired Knicks Coach for Practice Ahead of Regular Season

After being unceremoniously let go over the offseason from his job as the head coach of the New York Knicks, Tom Thibodeau is keeping himself busy.

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By busy, this means staying involved in the game as best as possible without actually hired anywhere contractually. Given the success New York has enjoyed under his guidance, more than a handful of Knickerbocker fans were dismayed at his firing.

One of the brightest defensive minds the league has seen over the last two decades, Thibodeau, 67, is now able to refresh a bit as he figures out the next move in his career.

Former Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau is here at Celtics practice pic.twitter.com/DBRNw4CGfW
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) October 20, 2025

Interestingly enough, he happened to show up at a Boston Celtics practice on Monday. It's a unique situation given that Thibodeau coached against the Celtics in last year's playoffs. There's also the angle that Thibodeau was a lead assistant for the Celtics under Doc Rivers from 2007-10.

Boston Celtics star wing Jaylen Brown loved seeing Thibodeau hanging around the practice facility. It truly seems as if the veteran player high values and appreciates what Thibodeau bestowed to the Celtics during his visit.

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“That was awesome having [Thibodeau]. Obviously, [the New York Knicks] eliminated us last year. So him being able to kind of give us some of the thoughts that he saw in that series and some of the stuff that they broke down in our personnel, or even our team, helps us grow and learn from that… To have Thibs here at our practice explaining some of the things that he saw that helped them beat us only helps me get better, only helps us get better. So I value that.”

Jaylen Brown on having Tom Thibodeau at practice today:

“That was awesome having Thibs. Obviously, they eliminated us last year. So him being able to kind of give us some of the thoughts that he saw in that series and some of the stuff that they broke down in our personnel, or… https://t.co/1WOtUgKPDs pic.twitter.com/5K6vPPe4CI
— Justin Turpin (@JustinmTurpin) October 20, 2025

There's always inherent value in learning from someone who's been involved in NBA circles dating back to 1989 when Thibodeau broke into the league as an assistant coach with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

His journey saw him then become an assistant in Houston, San Antonio, New York, Philadelphia, and Boston before earning his first opportunity at being a head coach with the Chicago Bulls in 2010. He later was the head man in Minnesota, and eventually with the Knicks for the last handful of seasons.

Thibodeau's Coaching Future Remains A Mystery

It's unknown as to whether Thibodeau wants to continue pushing for a head coach job. He'd have his choice of lead assistant jobs in a millisecond should he pursue that avenue.

At the same time, he may wait a year for the dust to settle and then survey the scene from there with any potential open jobs.

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