One of the first shocking pieces of NBA offseason news came before the start of the Finals.
The Knicks are firing head coach Tom Thibodeau, ESPN's Shams Charania reported, after he led them to an Eastern Conference Finals berth in 2024-25.
New York, which will carry title expectations into 2025-26, is now seeking a new coach, and the news came as a surprise to most fans, with initial questions over whether the Knicks would make a drastic change after a largely successful season. They made that change on Tuesday — and the NBA world, from fans to active Knicks players, reacted to Thibodeau's firing.
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Here are some of the top reactions from New York firing Thibodeau on Tuesday.
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Tom Thibodeau firing reactions
After Charania broke the news, one of the first notable figures to post about Thibodeau departing New York was an active player. Josh Hart, who became one of the most highly-used players in the league under Thibodeau, wished his former head coach the best.
Forever Grateful 🧡💙 Thank You! https://t.co/a81D5SST1d
— Josh Hart (@joshhart) June 3, 2025
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Some of the most well-known Knicks fans, like actor Ben Stiller, also reacted to the news in real time, as well as some large Knicks-focused accounts on social media. For the most part, Knicks fans were grateful for how Thibodeau helped turn the franchise around.
I am a Tom Thibodeau fan. He brought this team back. I felt he gave every bit of himself and was always looking to improve. I will always be grateful for how far he brought the Knicks. They are relevant again. They are championship contenders again. The Knicks became winners…
— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) June 3, 2025
— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) June 3, 2025
Tom Thibodeau arrived to New York in 2020, and transformed the Knicks from the joke of the NBA into a serious contender.
— KnicksMuse (@KnicksMuse) June 3, 2025
Thank you, Thibs. pic.twitter.com/or0FfSR7bI
Knicks before Thibs:
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) June 3, 2025
❎ No culture
❎ .309 win% 6 yrs, worst NBA
❎ No playoffs 7 years
Knicks under Thibs:
✅ Culture
✅ .565 win% 5 yrs - 8th NBA
✅ 4 of 5 playoffs / ECF 2025
Thank you Thibs pic.twitter.com/kFNlDpAI05
You can argue Thibs wasn't a ceiling maximizer for this team, but he raised our floor from the doldrums. Best Knicks coach in a long time
— Knicks Memes (@KnicksMemes) June 3, 2025
Maybe it was time to move on, but he should be remembered for turning this team around pic.twitter.com/hHiSsQZSh0
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The Knicks' team account also posted a thank you message to Thibodeau.
Thank you, Coach Thibodeau. pic.twitter.com/bInhvWtxPI
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) June 3, 2025
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As sports shows broke down the news, Kendrick Perkins said on ESPN that he doesn't think Thibodeau deserved to be fired.
"What was Tom Thibodeau supposed to do?" Perkins said of the coach's utilization of star Karl-Anthony Towns in the ECF.
"[Tom Thibodeau] didn't deserve to lose his damn job."@KendrickPerkins reacts to the news that Tom Thibodeau is out as the Knicks coach after 5 seasons. pic.twitter.com/UAfX23vfSK
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 3, 2025
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During TNT Sports' French Open broadcast, John McEnroe even chimed in on Thibodeau being fired.
Noted New York Knicks fan John McEnroe gives some instant reaction to the Tom Thibodeau firing during the French Open 🎾🏀🎙️ pic.twitter.com/CxrZcjKDMi
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 3, 2025