The New York Knicks are looking at a fresh start after making a decision to fire head coach Tom Thibodeau.
The bombshell news the New York Knicks were firing Tom Thibodeau emerged on June 3, days after their Eastern Conference Finals elimination.
The Knicks had returned to the ECF for the first time in 25 years, but their 4-2 series loss to the Indiana Pacers was viewed as an intolerable defeat.
Aside from an initial statement, there has been silence from the Knicks on the decision, with Stephen A. Smith imploring for the franchise’s leaders to come out and address the media.
This has not happened yet, leading others to theorize the reasons why Thibodeau was fired, without clear reasoning being provided by either president Leon Rose or owner James Dolan.
The New York Knicks players held their exit interviews following the defeat to the Indiana Pacers, signalling their shut down for the year.
However, there was one detail that has now been cited as peculiar, amid the sudden new lens of the Tom Thibodeau firing.
Knicks expert James Edwards, of The Athletic, spoke to The Rich Eisen Show about the firing, and noted the actions of owner James Dolan.
Edwards said: “James Dolan sat in on the exit interviews with the prominent figures.
“I’ve been covering the NBA for seven years. This was my eighth season. I have never really heard of an owner sitting in on exit meetings with players.
“And obviously they evaluate coaches and things like that. But it was very unique.”
Edwards went on to say he was full of respect for Tom Thibodeau and he deserves credit for taking the Knicks as far as he did.
He explained, referencing the Karl-Anthony Towns trade: “Thibs has been there a long time. He’s the best coach they’ve had in over a quarter century.
“To be fair to him, this roster got put together hours before they started training camp, and they still got this far.”
With neither Dolan or Leon Rose claiming responsibility for the decision to fire Tom Thibodeau, it has been open to speculation who was the driving force behind it.
Dolan’s presence at the exit interviews shows his ongoing desire to be ‘plugged in’ to the Knicks, and is not taking a complete step back and leaving it in Rose’s hands.
The decision is being attributed as a joint one, according to Shams Charania, who told the Pat McAfee Show that both figures were involved.
He said: “As soon as the season ended, they started meetings internally, and James Dolan and Leon Rose, they believed the best path for this team to take the next step to win a championship was that they needed a new voice.
“Leon Rose and James Dolan came to the decision this morning that they were going to part ways with Tom Thibodeau.”
Dolan’s presence in the team’s exit interviews demonstrates how closely he was listening to what the players had to say, as he built up a picture of the season just gone.
And with a decision looming on Tom Thibodeau, it appears that he heard enough to be convinced that this team needs a fresh leader.
