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Former New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau broke his silence on his recent firing by taking out an ad in the New York Times thanking fans on Wednesday (June 11).
"To the best city in the world with the best fans in the world: Thank you," Thibodeau wrote. "When I was hired in 2020, I said this was my dream job. I am grateful that dream became a reality. Thank you to our players and coaching staff who gave everything they had, and to everyone who makes this franchise special. 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.
"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."
The Knicks announced that Thibodeau was relieved of his duties in a statement shared on their official website on June 3.
“Our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans. This pursuit led us to the difficult decision to inform Tom Thibodeau that we’ve decided to move in another direction,” said Knicks President Leon Rose. “We can’t thank Tom enough for pouring his heart and soul into each and every day of being the New York Knicks head coach. He led us not only with class and professionalism for the past five seasons, but also to tremendous success on the court with four playoff berths and four playoff series victories. Ultimately, we made the decision we feel is best for our organization moving forward. Tom will always be a part of our Knicks family and we truly wish him nothing but the best in the future.”
Thibodeau led the Knicks to a franchise renaissance during his five-year tenure, having made the playoffs in four out of five seasons after the team suffered a seven-year postseason drought prior to his hiring and led the franchise to its first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 1999, as well as consecutive 50-win seasons for the first time since the 1990s, in 2025. The veteran coach went 226-174 during the regular season and 24-23 during the postseason during his Knicks tenure.