Veteran forward Josh Hart‘s first public reaction to the New York Knicks firing their head coach, Tom Thibodeau, wasn’t one of shock.
It was of gratitude.
“Forever Grateful 🧡💙 Thank You!” Hart wrote on X, tweet-quoting ESPN’s Shams Charania’s news of Thibodeau’s shocking firing.
Under Thibodeau, Hart blossomed into a near triple-double threat. He averaged 13.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 5.9 assists this past season for the Knicks.
The stunning decision to fire Thibodeau came after they fell short in the Eastern Conference Finals. They lost to a deeper Indiana Pacers team in six games.
“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 in a statement released on X. “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 leaves the Knicks as their fourth all-time winningest coach with 226 wins, trailing only Jeff Van Gundy (248), Joe Lapchick (326) and two-time champion coach Red Holzman (613). The Knicks made the playoffs in four of Thibodeau’s five years at the helm. He is also the first coach to guide the Knicks to consecutive 50-win seasons since Pat Riley in the 1994-95 season.
NBA Twitter Reacts to Tom Thibodeau’s Firing
The NBA Twitter expressed shock on the Knicks’ decision to fire Thibodeau despite his achievements as their head coach, transforming the once lottery team to a contender.
“Thibs made Jalen Brunson a superstar. Thibs made Josh Hart a monster. Thibs made Spike Lee believe again. Thibs made NYC love hoops again. Thibs made the Knicks cool again. And the Knicks just fired him,” wrote Sam Block, who works for ESPN, on X.
Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor said he believes firing Thibodeau was the right call for the Knicks.
“Firing Tom Thibodeau is a tough call, but the right choice. Had all year to experiment with two-big lineups. He didn’t, even after Mitchell Robinson returned. Had all year to install layers to the offense, and he never did. Knicks need a more creative coach to take the next step,” O’Connor wrote on X.
Actor Ben Stiller, a die-hard Knicks fan, expressed his gratitude to the outgoing coach.
“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 again with him. Thank you COACH THIBS,” wrote Stiller on X.
Josh Hart Blames Himself for Knicks Playoff Exit
Getty Josh Har was the first New York Knicks player to react publicly to Tom Thibodeau’s firing.
Hart’s disappointing performance in the conference finals hastened their loss, and subsequently, Thibodeau’s downfall.
The Knicks’ do-it-all forward struggled in the elimination game, missing five of his six attempts.
Hart wound up with only four points, six rebounds and one assist. He lost his starting spot in the final four games of the series. Against Indiana, he shot a dismal 18.2% from the 3-point line and averaged nearly as many turnovers (2.2) as assists (3.0).
“I failed the team,” Hart told reporters. “I didn’t bring it the way I should have, especially in this series. And if I played better, it could’ve been a different situation.”
Now, they are heading into an inflection point after the coach who trusted him has been fired.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Knicks Star’s Eye-Opening Reaction to Tom Thibodeau Firing appeared first on Heavy Sports.