It’s been more than a week since Tom Thibodeau was let go by the Knicks, and Jalen Brunson, the face of the franchise, had been relatively quiet. Until now.
Brunson finally broke his silence, joining teammate Josh Hart in reflecting on the emotional departure of the coach who helped reshape not just the Knicks, but their own careers, on the latest episode of The Roommates Show.
“This is my first firing,” Brunson said. “Obviously, I’ve known him my entire life, but I remember having conversations and moments with him in 8th grade when we moved to Chicago. And to see where he helped me become two-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA. The things he’s done for me individually, I’m so grateful for.”
Brunson’s father, Rick, was on Thibodeau’s staff with the Bulls, Timberwolves, and Knicks.
That trust, built over decades, paid off when Jalen signed with New York.
“He had that confidence in me that I knew I had, but it’s great to see someone push me to be better,” Brunson said.
Brunson added, “Not enough things can be said about what he’s meant to myself and my career.”
Thibodeau’s results speak too. In five seasons, he went 226-174, made the playoffs four times and brought the Knicks to their first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years.
“He took the job when the Knicks were just bums,” Hart said. “…Like 20 wins. He helped Knicks basketball go back to the top level in the league. He should get a lot of credit for the foundation that he built.”
All yall talking trash about Thibs lame as hell. A different direction was taken but yall should be appreciative for what he did for the team and organization
— Josh Hart (@joshhart) June 12, 2025
Now, with New York deep in a coaching search, and reportedly being denied access to talk with top targets like Billy Donovan and Quin Snyder and Jason Kidd the question isn’t just who comes next, but whether they can carry what Thibs built.
READ MORE: Knicks 0-5 in Coaching Search While Tom Thibodeau Goes Out With Grace