Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns Addressed Tom Thibodeau's Firing With One Special Photo

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The New York Knicks' surprising move to part ways with Tom Thibodeau after a run to the Eastern Conference finals has sparked all types of reactions and blown up the phone of at least one NBA insider. Everyone from Night at the Museum star Ben Stiller to ESPN's Kendrick Perkins is weighing in on the decision.
Knicks players have opted to take a different route, focusing on the time they spent with the coach and how they are grateful for the experience. Josh Hart had a poignant four-word response in the immediate aftermath and hours later Karl-Anthony Towns shared a photo of himself with Thibodeau on Instagram.
Karl-Anthony Towns already reminiscing about the Thibodeau days on Instagram 🥹 pic.twitter.com/5bmqHvfanQ
— FanDuel (@FanDuel) June 4, 2025
Towns played under Thibodeau for just one year in New York after three previous seasons together with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but it was an entirely productive one as the Knicks capped back-to-back 50-win seasons with two playoff series wins before running into the Pacers. Whomever the franchise hires next will inherit a strong roster and a bright spotlight.
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Kyle Koster is an assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated covering the intersection of sports and media. He was formerly the editor in chief of The Big Lead, where he worked from 2011 to '24. Koster also did turns at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he created the Sports Pros(e) blog, and at Woven Digital.
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