Knicks' James Dolan Reveals Reason for Firing Tom Thibodeau

After nearly three years without making a press appearance, New York Knicks owner James Dolan spoke on the Carton Show to discuss all things Knicks and New York Rangers.

In the interview, he finally broke his silence on the controversial firing of former head coach Tom Thibodeau after he led the Knicks through their best season in 25 years.

“The team is really built on the shoulders of Tom Thibodeau. He built that core,” Dolan said, h/t Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. “We went as far as we did last year. So you really got to take your hat off to Tom. And the job that he did. But we did come to the conclusion that we had an idea how we wanted to organize the team. And that meant we needed to evolve. Actually beyond the old traditional coaching formulas."

“And we tried to work that with Tom. It really wasn’t his thing.”

Dolan's Approach to Building an NBA Team

May 29, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau reacts in game five of the eastern conference finals of the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Dolan began to discuss the difficulties of putting together an NBA team, noting that it's more important to "home-grow your talent" instead of buying players, citing the "old Yankees" as an example. He began to describe the challenges he faced with Tom Thibodeau when it came to developing talent, but was cut off by WFAN's Craig Carton before he could finish the thought.

Dolan sat in on exit interviews for Thibodeau, a move that "raised eyebrows" around the NBA, and was reportedly responsible for the firing, as Thibodeau reportedly had the support of star player Jalen Brunson and president Leon Rose. Dolan wanted a radical change in the Knicks' leadership approach, and he appears to be getting one.

Bench Development

Dec 29, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New York Knicks Head Coach Mike Brown gives direction against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The bench development element is something new head coach Mike Brown has done very well, giving young players like Tyler Kolek, Kevin McCullar Jr. and Mohamed Diawara more minutes to give their starters a break. At the moment, however, the team's slump is troubling, and it's difficult to praise a team that has lost four in a row -- most recently falling flat against the conference-leading Detroit Pistons.

Despite this, Dolan seemed confident that the Knicks will overcome and ultimately win this championship. There is plenty of season left, after all.

Dolan and Brown's Knicks are 23-13, falling to third in the East after their showing against the Pistons. Their defense has held them back from the excellence they're chasing, and the crucial injuries to Josh Hart and Landry Shamet have contributed. They're hoping this slip doesn't turn into too much of a slide.

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