Knicks Fire Head Coach Tom Thibodeau

The New York Knicks parted ways with their head coach days after falling in the Eastern Conference Finals.

May 16, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau talks to center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) and guard Josh Hart (3) and forward OG Anunoby (8) during a time out during the third quarter of game six in the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks let go of Tom Thibodeau as the team's head coach on Tuesday afternoon, ending a five-year partnership after the team's most recent playoff exit, per ESPN's Shams Charania.

BREAKING: The New York Knicks are relieving Tom Thibodeau of his duties as head coach, sources tell ESPN. Thibodeau led the Knicks to their first East Finals in 25 years, made playoffs in 4 of 5 years and led Knicks to consecutive 50+ win seasons for first time since the 1990s. pic.twitter.com/B7w8KhoEcF
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 3, 2025

"The Knicks are singularly focused on their pursuit of a championship and believe a new voice will serve as the focus for the organization's next step," Charania reported.

The defensive-minded Thibodeau won Coach of the Year in 2020-21 in his first year as the team's lead, and won four playoff series in the three years since the team acquired Jalen Brunson.

He was viewed as a hot seat contender for much of the Knicks' rocky regular season, but his leading New York to their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 25 years wasn't enough to save his job. Even after upsetting the reigning champion Boston Celtics, questions about his bench management and in-game decision making lingered in leading up to the eventual divorce following the Pacers' six-game victory over the Knicks to advance to the NBA Finals.

This was Thibodeau's third stop as an NBA head coach. He was similarly fired from Minnesota in 2019 and Chicago in 2015, where he'd taken home his first Coach of the Year win.

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