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Former Knicks Star Lists Offerings For Next Coach

A former New York Knicks star offered a couple of candidates to lead the team into the future.
Geoff Magliocchetti|
May 5, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks guard J.R. Smith (8) reacts to a call by the referee during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images
May 5, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks guard J.R. Smith (8) reacts to a call by the referee during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images | Danny Wild-Imagn Images

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New York Knicks

The fateful eight has a tantalizing two for the New York Knicks to consider for their head coaching vacancy.

With tributes pouring in for departed head coach Tom Thibodeau, former Manhattan star JR Smith looked into the past and future on his Instagram story, offering props for the five-year leader while offering two candidates for the road ahead.

"Dear [Knicks], I loved Tom, but we're here now," the 2013 Sixth Man of the Year said (h/t New York Basketball on X). "Can we please go get [Mark Jackson] or [Phil Handy]?"

Jackson, at least, is well-known to Knicks fans, as the Queens native and St. John's alum won Rookie of the Year honors after coming to Manhattan as a first-round pick in 1987, the first of seven years in a Knicks uniform (1987-92, 2001-02).

Coming back to New York could even give Jackson a chance to flip his coaching career's script: following a lengthy playing career, Jackson spent three seasons at the helm of the Golden State Warriors (2011-14), amassing a 121-109 record. Despite overseeing Stephen Curry's rise to power and granting Golden State its first 50-win season in two decades, Jackson was relieved of duty just before the Bay Area dynasty tipped off in 2015, succeeded by four-time champion Steve Kerr.

Smith's other choice is a bit off the back wall, as he suggested that the Knicks grant Phil Handy his first NBA head coaching job. Handy has been lauded for his player development and previously collaborated with Smith on championship runs with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2016) and Los Angeles Lakers (2020).

More recently, Handy, who also earned a ring with the 2019 Toronto Raptors, served as the head coach of Mist BC in Unrivaled, the women's three-on-three league co-founded by New York Liberty star (and Mist captain) Breanna Stewart.

A lengthy coaching search awaits the Knicks as they prepare to embark on a new era. Smith, however, appears more than happy to get the process started.

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Geoff Magliocchetti
GEOFF MAGLIOCCHETTI

Geoff Magliocchetti is a veteran sportswriter who contributes to a variety of sites on the "On SI" network. In addition to the Yankees/Mets, Geoff also covers the New York Knicks, New York Liberty, and New York Giants and has previously written about the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Staten Island Yankees, and NASCAR.

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