In early June, Tom Thibodeau welcomed Jalen Brunson's father Rick Brunson onto the New York Knicks coaching staff as an assistant. Rick of course helped the Knicks attract his son Jalen in free agency just a few weeks later.
Rick Brunson has a checkered past, including sexual misconduct allegations in his past. But Tom Thibodeau is still defending Brunson and his decision to hire him.
“I’ve known Rick a long time. I’m very comfortable with who he is,” Thibodeau said on Tuesday, according to the New York Post. “He’s been on my staff. I’ve known him since he was in college. I feel strongly about him.”
Rick Brunson was an assistant on some of Thibodeau's past teams, including the Bulls and Timberwolves. Thibodeau is known to bring back his past assistants and players to his new teams.
Tom Thibodeau mentioned that he didn't know if the Knicks had conducted an investigation into Rick Brunson's past, but the Knicks do usually vet their new hires.
“You have to remember, he was hired in Minnesota,” Thibodeau said, as Brunson resigned in Minnesota due to improper conduct towards women in the Timberwolves franchise. “He’s here. I’m comfortable. I know who he is.”
Thibodeau is very intent on backing his assistant.
Jalen Brunson is very excited that he will be playing for his dad and was definitely one of the reasons Brunson wanted to come to the Big Apple.
“It’s just an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” Jalen Brunson said. “It’s something you only see in movies and stuff like that.”
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