NYC Mayoral Candidates Sound Off on Knicks Firing

The New York Knicks' surprise ousting of Tom Thibodeau became one of the contested topics at a debate between prospective mayors of the city.

Apr 10, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Knicks Tom Thibodeau Head Coach reacts to a play against the Detroit Pistons during the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images | David Reginek-Imagn Images

If Michael Blake somehow secures the Democratic nomination in the upcoming New York City mayoral race, he might already be down at least one vote if former New York Knicks boss Tom Thibodeau hits the polls.

Thibodeau's unexpected ousting from the Knicks was briefly covered at the end of a debate of Democratic candidates running for NYC Mayor: as part of a "lightning round" to close things out, David Ushery of host WNBC asked for a thumbs up/thumbs down approval to the sacking.

Blake, an Assemblyman from the 79th district, was the only one of the nine candidates to give a thumbs up while former NYC comptroller Scott Stringer appeared to abstain.

Michael Blake is the only candidate in the NYC Democratic mayoral primary who was for shitcanning Thibs. pic.twitter.com/0EV5XnAnTH

— Bryan Armen Graham (@BryanAGraham) June 5, 2025

"Our goal is to win the [NBA] Finals]," Blake, who received less than one percent of the vote in data from Marist Poll last month, said (h/t Bryan Armen Graham of The Guardian). "It's not to get to the conference finals."

Thibodeau's five years at the helm of the Knicks worked through two NYC mayors, including Bill de Blasio and incumbent Eric Adams, who is running for re-election as an independent. Adams previously bid Thibodeau farewell in a heartfelt X post responding to the Knicks' confirmation of the news first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN.

The Knicks' recent showing in the Eastern Conference Finals was their first since Rudy Giuliani's heyday in 2000. New York fell by a 4-2 final to Indiana Pacers in the best-of-seven set, allowing their Midwestern rivals to advance to the championship round that gets underway on Thursday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC).

Perhaps personifying Blake's point, seven different men have held the title of NYC mayor since the Knicks won their last championship in 1973, the final year of the late John Lindsay's term.

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