James Dolan Explains Why Knicks Fired Tom Thibodeau After Eastern Conference Finals Run

Blake Silverman | Jan 5, 2026

In a rare interview, Knicks owner James Dolan explained his team’s current standing and Tom Thibodeau’s departure / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Following a run to the Eastern Conference finals last season, the Knicks sent shockwaves through the NBA world when the team decided to part ways with coach Tom Thibodeau after five seasons. New York had won a playoff series in three straight years, but owner James Dolan felt his team needed a new voice to get over the hump.

This year, the Knicks are 23-13, tied with the Celtics (22-12) for second place in the East behind only the 27-9 Pistons. Under new coach Mike Brown, the experienced Knicks found early success by winning the NBA Cup and Dolan has high hopes for this iteration of his team.

"I would say we want to get to the Finals and we should win the Finals," the Knicks’ owner said in an interview with Craig Carton and Chris McGonigle on WFAN. "This is sports. Anything can happen in sports. Getting to the Finals, we absolutely got to do. Winning the Finals, we should win."

Dolan explained the controversial decision to part ways with Thibodeau despite the deep playoff run last season, shining a light into the decision making between him and Knicks president Leon Rose.

“The team is really built on the shoulders of Tom Thibodeau, he built that core that went as far as we did last year,” Dolan said. “You really got to take your hat off to Tom and the job that he did. But, we did come to the conclusion that we had an idea of how we wanted to organize the team ... and that meant we needed to evolve beyond the old traditional coaching formulas. We tried to work that with Tom, it really wasn’t his thing. ... I won’t say you can’t win a title with Tom Thibodeau, I don’t necessarily know that’s true. It’s just that if you want to build a long-term, competitive [team], you need somebody who’s much more of a collaborator than Tom was.”

James Dolan talked "collaboration" when discussing the decision to move on from Tom Thibodeau:@craigcartonlive @CMacWFAN pic.twitter.com/A8W8giMsyq

— WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) January 5, 2026

Thibodeau has long had a habit of playing his core players extended minutes, which led to concerns over injuries and fatigue during a grueling season and into an even deeper postseason run. In Brown’s first season, bench players Tyler Kolek, Miles McBride and Jordan Clarkson have given huge minutes to the second-place Knicks. There’s still a long way to go, as New York’s bench is scoring 31.6 points per game, a mark that’s good for 28th in the NBA. However, the Knicks’ bench scored just 21.7 points a night last year under Thibodeau, which was last across the league.

The deep core of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby helps the current problem. In a rare interview, Dolan shared his high hopes for the current roster and he thinks the team has the right coach in place to lead the charge. We’ll see just how far the Knicks can go.

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