Obi Toppin Yelled at Tom Thibodeau After Knicks' Game 4 Loss vs. Heat
The beginning of the New York Knicks offseason started off with a bang.
On May 8, the Knicks dropped a 109-101 decision to the Miami Heat in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, falling behind 3-1 in the best-of-seven set. After the defeat, Obi Toppin let his frustration, likely out of frustration for being benched the entire second half, at head coach Tom Thibodeau.
"According to league sources who were present, once the final buzzer sounded Toppin aired his grievances to Thibodeau," The Athletic's Fred Katz writes. "The 24-year-old wants to play, and he wants to win. That evening, neither happened. An intense verbal altercation occurred between the player and coach as the group trekked to the Kaseya Center's visiting locker room in Miami. It spilled into the postgame meeting once the doors closed."
Toppin averaged 7.4 points per game this past season, a step below his mark from 2021-22. He did come up big at the end of the regular season, averaging 21.8 in five starts while Julius Randle was injured, though the Knicks' postseason fate was more or less assured at that time.
His status as a former top-10 pick springs a ton of potential, but he's fallen far behind Julius Randle on the depth chart. His minutes dropped from 17.1 to 15.7 this past season, and as a 2020 top-10 pick, he could be making a stronger impact elsewhere.
While Toppin and Thibodeau made up the following day after tensions had dropped, the offseason brings along a big question in regards to his future, and whether he will ever play another game in a Knicks uniform.
If the Knicks receive an offer for Toppin, they should at least consider it before they let him test restricted free agency in a year from now.
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