Knicks’ Jalen Brunson ‘sad’ about Tom Thibodeau firing but doesn’t question move: ‘That’s their point of view’
New York Knicks Coach Tom Thibodeau After having lost in the final of the Eastern Conference – their first appearance at this stage of the NBA qualifying series since 2000. Many players and coaches, some of whom on the alignment of Thibodeau, came to his defense after the decision of the franchise to go to another direction. With an off -season to think about the change of leadership, the star of the Knicks Jalen Brunson proposed his reflections on the release of Thibodeau and why the front office chose to make a change of coach.
“It’s sad to see a man I have known for a long time with this organization,” Brunson told Knicks Media Day on Tuesday. “He heard a lot for me. I expressed it publicly and personally. He has meant a lot for my career to this point.”
The best years of Brunson’s career have passed under the supervision of Thibodeau. After emerging as a great player with the Dallas Mavericks, Brunson brought his game to another level when he united his strengths in New York with Thibodeau, who gave him the biggest role of his career. Under the supervision of Thibodeau, Brunson won a pair of selections of star and all-nba honors and became one of the most popular guards in the league.
Thibodeau increased the total of the KNICKS regular victory in four consecutive years before his dismissal. He took the franchise last season to his first appearance in the final of the Eastern Conference since 2000, where the Knicks have lost in six games against the Indiana Pacers. And it was after having broken the drought of the New York seven -year -old playoffs in his first season at the helm.
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The Knicks’ decision to go from an established and prosperous coach despite their ascending trajectory raised questions on the front office. Piston coach, JB Bickerstaff, went so far as to say that the dismissal was the “final straw” in a lack of respect for the coaches.
Brunson took a more pragmatic position.
“My job is to go there and find a way to help this team win,” said Brunson. “There are different people in this organization with different jobs and different things they have to do to be able to improve this team. It is their point of view. So for me, I just have to enter and do my job at best my abilities.”
The Knicks failed their championship goals during the 2024-25 season, and with the front office which fixed the previous one that it will not be satisfied less than the contribution of the title, the incoming coach, Mike Brown, faces a lot of pressure to deliver from the start. Brown is a double coach of the year of the NBA but was dismissed by the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings throughout a career that extends over two decades.
If he takes the Knicks to the top of the mountain, Brown will win his first NBA championship as a chief coach (he won four as an assistant).
“I’m excited,” said Brunson. “It’s going to be fun. It’s a new year. Everything will be new, so everything will be exciting at first. Just really excited to start this season.”
