Mike Brown wins big, but one former Knicks coach says he’s paying the emotional price originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
On Saturday, the New York Knicks won their first NBA championship since 1973, beating the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5. Jalen Brunson scored 45 points to win Finals MVP, ending the franchise's 53-year title drought under first-year head coach Mike Brown.
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In the locker room, Brown celebrated by singing "Who Let the Dogs Out?" The victory marked a major turnaround for Brown, who won a championship in his first season with New York after being fired from four previous NBA head-coaching jobs.
"It's just a heck of a win," Brown said after the clincher. "You saw it — we called on different guys at different times and every time they stepped up. I love my players, I love the organization, but most importantly, let's go New York."
The celebration is still running hot in the city. But somewhere away from the confetti, the man who handed Brown that roster is sitting with a very different set of emotions.
Tom Thibodeau laid Knicks foundation, but misses the glory
On Tuesday, a source close to Thibodeau said he is genuinely very happy for the players and his guys after watching the Knicks win a historic championship. "But Tom is still hurt that the decision-makers made it appear he needed to be replaced."
After the New York Knicks fired Thibodeau last June, a source close to the coach told The Athletic's Ian O'Connor that Thibodeau felt “betrayed.” The source said it stung to realize that people he helped did not stand up for him.
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He got axed at a surprising time. ESPN's Shams Charania reported that management dismissed Thibodeau despite him leading the Knicks to four playoff appearances in five years, back-to-back 50-win seasons and their first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years.
O'Connor reported that Thibodeau clashed philosophically with front-office executives, who believed the roster deserved all the credit for wins while Thibodeau deserved all the blame for losses.
Additionally, team owner James Dolan attended postseason exit interviews. According to sources, Dolan's presence caused players and staff to protect themselves by shifting blame onto Thibodeau.
The cruel irony is that the core that just won a championship belonged largely to Thibodeau. He turned Brunson into an All-NBA caliber talent and managed to elevate an average roster to the top of the East. Brown inherited that foundation, managed a difficult regular season to win 53 games, and then led the Knicks to 13 consecutive playoff wins.
There's no asterisk on Brown's ring, and there shouldn't be. But Thibodeau's fingerprints are all over this championship, and his absence from the celebration is a reminder that front office decisions carry real human costs, even when they work out in the end.
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