The Minnesota Timberwolves shockingly fired president/head coach Tom Thibodeau after one of his best wins of the season, a 22-point victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
While the timing was dubious, his unpopularity with the fan base played a major role in his firing, as the organization was looking to entice season-ticket renewals to a fan base that wasn't fond of his coaching or decision-making as a president of basketball operations, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
As a president, the Jimmy Butler fiasco made an already unpopular Thibodeau into a downright villain for some fans, hoping to get it over with and move on from a player who no longer wanted to be in Minnesota.
As coach, his stance of playing his starters heavy minutes while keeping the reserves as garbage time options infuriated a fan base that wanted to see young players like Tyus Jones and Josh Okogie flourish this season.
The organization had very little hope in their season-ticket sales taking a leap after plummeting from where they were last season, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
“Thibodeau’s volatile demeanor on the sideline and closed-off approach in the community made him an unpopular figure in the Twin Cities. And with attendance declining at an alarming rate — the Wolves were 29th in home attendance this season after being 21st last year — there was little hope that an upcoming season-ticket renewal campaign with Thibodeau remaining as a primary figure in the organization would generate even a smidgen of interest to the public.”
The Wolves gave Ryan Saunders, son of the late (and popular) Flip Saunders, the coaching job on the interim basis — all while the job of president remains open with candidates like Fred Hoiberg in line to interview for it once the organization starts to search for a candidate.
Follow Us
Subscribe