When the New York Knicks officially fired Tom Thibodeau after coming up short in the Eastern Conference Finals, it took the sports world by storm.
Fans in New York were decidedly mixed, outside observers put the move into the context of their preferred fandoms, and some folks even had jokes on the matter, be they with lighthearted jabs or as biting rebuttals of his unique style of coaching.
Five-time All-Star Kevin Love firmly fell into the final category but whether he meant to be funny or pointed remains to be seen, as he used the opportunity to compare Knicks owner James Dolan to disgraced former WWE owner Vince McMahon, who would often fire his employees – at least in a televised kayfabe sense – with the dramatic flair of a certified entertainer.
Kevin Love on Instagram:
“James Dolan bringing Thibs into his office after he took the Knicks to their first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years…”
LeBron James in the comment: “🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣” pic.twitter.com/ka4p6BBxHl
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) June 3, 2025
Now, on the surface, this post is very funny, with Love's former teammate LeBron James yucking it up in the comments section with a series of laughing emojis, but underneath, what is the NBA Champion forward trying to say? Is he suggesting that Dolan is using the loss as a chance to shake things up in dramatic fashion, even if it was against his own self-interest?
As Love pointed out, Thibs was the first head coach to take the Knicks to the Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years, and as was often the case with Mr. McMahon, the shortsighted decision to fire folks in the heat of the moment would often come back to bite him in the end. Is Dolan the heel running wild over the Knicks organization just like Mr. McMahon was in WWE? Or was this simply a funny opportunity for Love to make light of the situation?
Whether the Knicks' decision was right or wrong remains to be seen, but with the proverbial deed officially done, fans will now have to wait and see what Dolan has cooking to get his organization past the highest ceiling they've reached this century. For the sake of Knicks fans, let's hope firing Tom Thibodeau doesn't blow up in Dolan's face like so many of McMahon's choices in WWE.