Tom Thibodeau Breaks Silence After Knicks Firing

Tom Thibodeau's final metropolitan headline topped a literal love letter to the New York Knicks.

Thibodeau broke his silence after his surprise ousting from Manhattan, bidding New York farewell with a full-page ad in Wednesday's edition of the New York Times.

"To the best city in the world with the best fans in the world: Thank you," Thibodeau began, his letter posted over a photo of himself prepping for tip-off on the Madison Square Garden sidelines. "When I was hired in 2020, I said this was my dream job. I am grateful that dream became a reality."

Tom Thibodeau took out a full-page ad in the New York Times to thank Knicks fans and players. pic.twitter.com/eWrGe7G7TA
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"Thank you to our players and coaching staff who gave everything they had, and to everyone who makes this franchise special," Thibodeau continued. "I am proud of everything we accomplished together, including four playoff appearances and this year's run to the Eastern Conference finals —our first in 25 years."

Thibodeau was no doubt one of those men who added to the Manhattan allure, as his tenure thrust the Knicks back into NBA relevancy. Alongside Joe Mazzulla of Boston, he is one of two coaches to win at least one series in each of the last three editions of the NBA Playoffs. Prior to his arrival in 2020, ten full-time Knicks coaches united for but one series victory since 2001.

Thibodeau rounded out his letter by thanking Knicks fans, arguably the NBA's most passionate and hard-to-please, for their consistent support throughout 226 regular season victories, the fourth-most for any man at the helm in franchise history.

"To the fans, thank you for believing in me and embracing me from day one," Thibodeau said. "Watching you support our team, and seeing the Garden ignite with that incomparable Knicks energy, is something I will never forget."

The search for Thibodeau's successor is fully underway, a process that has reportedly centered on trying to lure other NBA bosses away from their current locales. Dallas, Houston, and Minnesota have all reportedly denied the Knicks an opportunity to respectively interview Jason Kidd, Ime Udoka, and Chris Finch, though the Knicks can pull off such a coup with a trade and interest from each leader.

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