The New York Knicks Fired Tom Thibadeau After a Successful Season, but Why?

Although they have one of the biggest fan bases in the NBA, the New York Knicks have not been all that successful, at least historically. In 2025, though, they had their best season in 25 years, making it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they lost to the Indiana Pacers in six games. Following that hugely successful season, though, they fired the coach who brought them there, Tom Thibodeau.

The team moved quickly after their season ended, which has led some to wonder why they made the move. Here's what we know about what motivated their decision.

While you can argue about whether or not it was the right decision, the Knicks' statement about the firing offers a pretty clear explanation: "Our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans."

While Thibodeau had gotten them just six wins away from that goal, the Knicks front office clearly believed that he was never going to be able to get them all the way to the promised land.

According to reporting from ESPN, a change was made because the team's management believes that they have assembled the talent required to compete for a championship, but also that Thibodeau didn't have the requisite skills to deliver one.

The Knicks made two major moves in the off-season, acquiring both Mikal Bridges and Karl Anthony-Towns in order to improve their roster.

In spite of those splashy moves, though, the team's starting five was outscored by 31 in the playoffs, and in spite of Thibodeau's reputation as a defensive-minded coach, the team's defense was often an issue.

The defensive woes were perhaps unsurprising for a team that plays both Brunson and Towns heavy minutes, but another concern among Knicks fans was Thibodeau's insistence on keeping a tight rotation. He tried lineups in the playoffs that had played zero minutes together in the regular season.

Although the team undeniably had some level of success with Thibodeau, teams sometimes fire their coach even after a relatively successful season because they believe their unit is capable of more. The Golden State Warriors did exactly that when they replaced Mark Jackson with Steve Kerr, and immediately went on a dynastic run. Nick Nurse also replaced Dwane Casey as the coach of the Toronto Raptors, and ultimately took that team to a title.

Of course, these kinds of coaching moves don't always work, and a lot will depend on who the Knicks bring in to replace Thibodeau. If they can find the right new coach and make some tweaks to the roster, they might find themselves with a team that can compete for a championship in an Eastern conference that is bereft of talent.

For now, though, the Knicks are still celebrating their best season in decades, even if it didn't end with them hoisting a trophy in June.