In shocking news that came out Tuesday, the New York Knicks fired head coach Tom Thibodeau after losing in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Indiana Pacers. With many taking issue with the Knicks' decision to fire Thibodeau, the news also makes light of Jalen Brunson's comments not that long ago about the subject.
After New York lost Game 6 to Indiana to be eliminated, Brunson would be asked if he believes that Thibodeau is the right coach to get the team over the hump. When Brunson heard the question, the star guard responded as if he couldn't believe it was being asked in the first place.
“Is that a real question right now? You just asked me if I believe he is the right guy? Yes. Come on,” Brunson said.
“Do you think [Tom Thibodeau] can lift you guys to the next level?”
Jalen Brunson: “Is that a real question right now? You just asked me if I believe he is the right guy? Yes.”
4 days ago, JB was asked if he had confidence in Thibs 😳
(via @sny_knicks)pic.twitter.com/P8D7vcC9LQ
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 3, 2025
While Brunson thought Thibodeau could lift the team to the next level, ownership had other thoughts.
Knicks' Jalen Brunson is a Tom Thibodeau “supporter”

When ESPN's Shams Charania predicted the Knicks to be aggressive this offseason on Monday, he also mentioned how Thibodeau has the support of the team and front office. When he spoke after the big news, those thoughts would be reinforced, especially about Brunson's thoughts.
“I didn't get the sense that this was a unit that had lost faith in Tom Thibodeau, per se,” Charania said on SportsCenter. “I mean, we saw Jalen Brunson's comments after that game six loss in Indianapolis, when he was asked about Tom Thibodeau, whether he felt Tom Thibodeau was the right coach for this team. And it was as if he absolutely shunned the question.”
“Like Jalen Brunson from everything I understand, he's always been a Tom Thibodeau supporter,” Charania continued. “That's someone who's allowed him to thrive in this league as he joined the Knicks as a point guard a few years ago. So I think there were definitely players that felt like Tom Thibodeau brought the best out of them.”
Shams:
“I didn't get the sense that this was a unit that had lost faith in Tom Thibodeau. Jalen Brunson from everything I understand he's always been a Tom Thibodeau supporter” pic.twitter.com/yK5WLwA0Rs
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) June 3, 2025
At any rate, New York now looks for a replacement that will have high expectations after Thibodeau had back-to-back 50-win seasons.