Tom Thibodeau spent the last five seasons with the Knicks, but after another tough eliination in the playoffs, NY fired him.
SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley reports that that Thibodeau even though the former head coach is owed upwards of $30 MILLION DOLLARS after signing a recent extension, he will not have a role in the Knicks front office.
Knicks president Leon Rose put out a statement in the wake of the news:
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 weve decided to move in another direction, Rose said in a statement released by the team. We cant 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.
However, not everyone liked it.
Stephen A. Smith didnt hold back, calling the president a coward after letting Thibs go, consequently the only coach thats been able to lead NY to their first Eastern Conference finals appearance since 2000.
To be quite honest with you, I think we all as New Yorkers should find Leon Roses statement offensive, Smith said on ESPN. Get the hell in front of a microphone and a camera and answer questions. Stop being a coward.
Smith went on to explain he has a deeper issue with Rose and the fact he rarely talks to the media face-to-face.
This is the problem with the arrogance of the New York Knicks, OK? They deserve credit for what they have achieved, Smith said. I applaud them for lifting us from basketball purgatory into relevance but in the same breath when you make the potpourri of decisions that you have made, can you have the decency to stand before the media and answer the questions? That statement is as weak as it gets.
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