New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau walked into the Boston Celtics practice facility this week an organization he hasnt been associated with for the better part of 15 years,
Months after the Knicks knocked Boston out of the Eastern Conference semifinals, Thibodeau went to Boston to help educate the team.
Jaylen Brown said the visit gave him a new perspective on what went wrong in that series and how to fix it.
I think that was awesome having Thibs, Brown said. Obviously, they eliminated us last year, so him being able to give us some of the thoughts that he saw in that series and some of the stuff that they broke down in our personnel or even our team helps us grow and learn from that.
The 28-year-old said Thibodeaus honest feedback and film breakdowns helped him and Jayson Tatum better understand how opponents game-plan against them.
It stung losing to the Knicks, Brown admitted. To have Thibs here explaining some of the things that helped them beat us only helps me get better, only helps us get better. So I value that. Shout out to Thibs for being here today.
Thibodeau didnt just watch from the sidelines, he joined Joe Mazzulla and the Celtics stars in a film session, dissecting last seasons playoff series in detail.
He was breaking down some film and stuff like that, talking to Joe, Brown said. From a team perspective and from a top-down perspective what he wanted to do with me and Jayson, what he wanted to do when the ball was in my hands. It allows you to grow if youre humble enough to listen.
Mazzulla, who guided Boston to the leagues best record in 2024, said the former Knicks coach brought valuable perspective.
He won a championship here just having him around makes me better, makes our organization better, Mazzulla said.
Thibs was a successful assistant coach for the Cs from 2007 to 2010, winning an NBA championship in 2008 and reaching the Finals in 2010.
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