New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau stood up for Doc Rivers after the Los Angeles Clippers parted ways with the former NBA Coach of the Year on Monday.

Rivers was Thibodeau's mentor on the Boston Celtics, so the new Knicks coach will always have Doc's back.

Doc Rivers has the most wins as a coach in Clippers franchise history. However, he failed to guide the team past the second round of the NBA playoffs and blew two 3-1 series leads.

Tom Thibodeau has been fired twice in the NBA, once by the Chicago Bulls and the other time by the Minnesota Timberwolves. While the Clippers called the Rivers move a “mutual decision,” multiple reports have stated that Doc was surprised the organization wanted to move on from him.

Rivers may not be out of work for that long, though. He's been linked to the Houston Rockets, New Orleans Pelicans and Philadelphia 76ers — three NBA teams in need of a new coach.

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Mavericks' Daniel Gafford in front looking serious. Mavericks' Daniel Gafford dunking a basketball in background.

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76ers Joel Embiid on the bench from game one or game two of playoff series vs. New York Knicks with Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart smiling or laughing.

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Tom Thibodeau in New York Knicks coaching uniform

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If Rivers coaches the Rockets, he would be reunited with his son Austin.

While Thibodeau surely feels bad for Rivers, the defensive-minded coach has bigger fish to fry at the moment. He's trying to bring the Knicks franchise back to prominence, which is easier said than done since New York hasn't made the NBA playoffs or had a winning record since the 2012-13 season.