The NBA world was reportedly shocked by the Knicks’ Tom Thibodeau firing.
Minutes after breaking the news, ESPN’s Shams Charania revealed that those around the league couldn’t believe the move.
“My phone is blowing up right now with executives, everyone around the league [is] just stunned,” Charania said during an appearance on “SportsCenter” on Tuesday.
Knicks brass decided to part ways with Thibodeau after five seasons, during which the team went 226-174 during the regular season and made the postseason four times.
In each of the past two seasons, the Knicks were downed by the Pacers, falling short of their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999.
“Clearly, the Knicks did not feel like Tom Thibodeau was going to be the coach to take them over the top,” Charania said of the firing.
Knicks president Leon Rose echoed that sentiment in a statement after the decision.
“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,” Rose said.
“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.”
Jason Szenes / New York Post
After the Knicks’ Game 6 elimination loss to the Pacers, Jalen Brunson had zero doubts when asked about Thibodeau’s future in New York.
Follow The Post’s coverage of the Knicks’ stunning firing of head coach Tom Thibodeau
“Is that a real question right now? You just asked me if I believe he’s the right guy,” Brunson said. “Yes. Come on.”
Josh Hart reacted to the firing on social media mere minutes after learning the news.
“Forever Grateful,” Hart wrote on X. “Thank You!”