NBA
Ty Lue thought it was ‘crazy’ that the Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated44 mins ago on August 28, 2025
In 2024-25, the Knicks finished 51-31 under head coach Tom Thibodeau. It was his third consecutive season with a winning record in New York.
For the first time in 25 years, Thibodeau helped the Knicks reach the Eastern Conference Finals. However, New York lost to the Pacers in six games. That was enough for the front office and ownership to move on from the veteran head coach. The Knicks fired Thibodeau following the 2025 playoffs. Clippers’ head coach Ty Lue recently appeared on the Club Shay Shay Podcast. He said it was “crazy” for New York to fire Tom Thibodeau this offseason.
Ty Lue doesn’t understand why the Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau
“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. … It just doesn’t make sense. I thought Thibs did a great job. Everywhere he’s been, he wins: Chicago, Minnesota, Knicks. It’s just crazy.” – Ty Lue pic.twitter.com/AClpOkNBJg
— Club Shay Shay (@ClubShayShay) August 28, 2025
Tom Thibodeau was the head coach of the New York Knicks for five seasons. He finished with a 226-174 record in the regular season and 24-23 in the playoffs. The 2024-25 season was the fourth time in five years that Thibodeau led New York to a winning record. This past season, Tom Thibodeau helped the Knicks reach the ECF for the first time in 25 years. Despite that accomplishment, the Knicks parted ways with Thibodeau this offseason.
Los Angeles Clippers head coach Ty Lue was on the Club Shay Shay Podcast with NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe. Lue spoke on how senseless and “crazy” it was for New York to fire Tom Thibodeau. He credited the players for buying into Thibodeau’s system and making the ECF. The Clippers’ head coach explained how Thibodeau has improved every team he’s taken over.
Tom Thibodeau with a full page thank you to the fans and players in The NY Times today. pic.twitter.com/D4FLnGENZe
— Steve Popper (@StevePopper) June 11, 2025
Additionally, Ty Lue mentioned how you never know what’s going on inside the building. While Tom Thibodeau had success as head coach, the front office was ready to part ways. Sources have reported that the Knicks were waiting for a reason to fire Thibodeau. Losing in the ECF to the Pacers was their justified reasoning.
To replace Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks hired former Kings head coach Mike Brown. He was fired after 31 games to begin the 2024-25 season. New York had no plan this offseason other than firing Thibodeau. The head coaching market dried up quickly, and the Knicks were left to sign Mike Brown. Can he keep up with the standard that Thibodeau had built over the last five seasons in New York?
