Tom Thibodeau took the Knicks back into heights the franchise had not seen in decades, and even still, was discharged by the front office. Not only did he repeatedly took them through consecutive-playoff runs, but this year led them into their first Eastern Conference Finals since 2000.
A couple of weeks have past since his firing, and the former New York coach holds no grudges, as he took out a full-page advertisement in The New York Times to thank everyone involved in his five years in Manhattan. He took the opportunity to appreciate the players, coaches, staff and fans.
Wednesday morning’s newspaper opened with a black-and-white ad, featuring a photo of Tom standing on Madison Square Garden’s sidelines with a powerful message, “To the best city in the world with the best fans in the world: Thank you.”
Thibodeau had first started out as an assistant with the Knicks under Jeff Van Gundy in the 90s, and finally hired for his “dream job” in 2020, as he cheered for this team since he was a child. It was team president Leon Rose who placed his trust in him to become the head coach.
“And to the fans, thank you for believing in me and embracing me from day one. Watching you support our team, and seeing the Garden ignite with that incomparable Knicks energy, is something I will never forget,” it reads.
The 67-year-old became the fourth coach with most wins in New York history, and reached back-to-back 50-win seasons for the first time in three decades. This past postseason, they beat the defending champions from Boston in the conference semifinals and were believed to contend for the title.
“He took the job when the Knicks were just bums, like 20 wins,” Josh Hart said yesterday. “He was there for five years. Made the playoffs in four years. First Eastern Conference finals in 25 years. He helped Knicks basketball go back to the top level in the league. He should get a lot of credit for the foundation that he built.”
