Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue believes the New York Knicks were wrong to dismiss Tom Thibodeau after the franchise’s most successful playoff run in decades.
In an appearance on the “Club Shay Shay” podcast, reported by Stefan Bondy of the New York Post, Lue did not hold back. “Should he have been fired? Hell no,” Lue said. “It’s the first time they’ve been to the conference finals in 25 years. Twenty-five years! And so, the city was on fire, the fans were on fire. The players did a hell of a job. And Thibs did a hell of a job.”
The Knicks finished the 2024-25 regular season 51-31, securing their second straight playoff berth under Thibodeau. In the postseason, New York eliminated the Detroit Pistons in six games and then stunned the defending champion Boston Celtics in the conference semifinals.
That victory set up a long-awaited return to the Eastern Conference Finals, where the Knicks faced the Indiana Pacers. Despite competing hard, New York’s run ended in six games.
It was the franchise’s first trip to the conference finals since 2000, and the first time in 26 years the Knicks closed out a playoff series at Madison Square Garden. Thibodeau’s leadership was credited with instilling toughness and structure in a roster headlined by Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Still, on June 3, the Knicks announced Thibodeau’s firing after five seasons with the team. One month later, Mike Brown was introduced as his replacement. The move surprised many around the league, given the Knicks’ deep postseason run.
