
via Imago
Apr 27, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) looks on against the Orlando Magic in the fourth quarter during game four of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

via Imago
Apr 27, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) looks on against the Orlando Magic in the fourth quarter during game four of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Even a $30 million paycheck couldn’t stop former Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau from revealing the team’s secrets to a rival! The Knicks had parted ways with their coach after a stellar 2024-25 season, where they went 51–31 in the regular season and then upset the defending champions, the Boston Celtics, to reach the Eastern Conference Finals: their first trip that far since 2000. And Thibodeau’s revenge? Helping the very same Celtics win a championship, echoing the reason the Knicks gave when they decided to part ways with him.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
But things might have played out differently if the Knicks hadn’t moved forward with Mike Brown as their new head coach and missed out on signing Boston’s Joe Mazzulla.
NBA Central reported on X, “…Yet it has also been whispered that the Knicks likely did some backchannel exploration to determine if there was any pathway to pursue Boston’s Joe Mazzulla. There obviously was not … and then the Celtics extended Mazzulla’s contract in August.” In the end, the Celtics beat the Knicks, perhaps a fitting response to the losses the Knicks had handed them.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
After parting ways with Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks’ search for a new head coach saw plenty of big names thrown into the mix. Michael Malone and Mike Budenholzer were early favorites, while Taylor Jenkins, Sam Cassell, Frank Vogel, and even college coaching legend Jay Wright were also considered.
There were whispers that the Knicks showed some level of interest in potentially pursuing Joe Mazzulla after firing Tom Thibodeau, per @TheSteinLine
“…Yet it has also been whispered that the Knicks likely did some backchannel exploration to determine if there was any pathway… pic.twitter.com/FA5iD5nGY4
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 21, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
According to The Athletic, the team even explored Dawn Staley, a four-time Naismith Coach of the Year from 2020 to 2024. But when Joe Mazzulla’s name entered the conversation, it came as a genuine surprise to many.
“You’ve got to tip your hat to the Knicks,” Mazzulla said after New York bested Boston. “They outplayed us. I’m happy for Thibs—he’s been coaching for a long time. To me, it’s all about paying your dues and giving it your all. That guy’s a lifer, man. He embodies everything a coach should be, and he deserves this. Honestly, it’s more about respect—the Knicks earned it as a team, and you have to give them credit.”
Funny enough, the Knicks still aren’t done with Thibodeau. They’re paying him $10 million this season and $30 million over the next three years. You can only imagine the self-restraint it must take for James Dolan to keep signing those checks while watching someone on their payroll help a rival team.
Another interesting piece of information shared from Adrian Wojnarowski’s recent reporting hidden in the chatter about Joe Mazzulla possibly being on the Knicks’ radar this past summer is that the Celtics had already secured their coach for the long haul. While it was already known that Boston extended Mazzulla back in August 2025, the real story is the length of the deal. According to The Stein Line, Mazzulla’s new contract is believed to be a six-year extension, keeping him in Boston well into the next decade.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
The terms haven’t been officially released beyond Boston calling it a “multiyear extension,” but insiders suggest it mirrors the commitment the Celtics once made to Brad Stevens when he transitioned from college coaching to Boston in 2013. Essentially, the Celtics have locked in Mazzulla as their head coach for the foreseeable future, making it clear that New York’s hopes of luring him away were always a long shot.
And to help Joe transform the Celtics, Tom made sure to pay a visit before the season tipped off.
Thibodeau return to the Celtics to share Knicks secrets?
The recent stoppage of former Knicks coach Tom was at the Celtics facility. Why, you ask? To help the team get better by sharing insights from his time with the Knicks: the very team that beat Boston in last year’s Eastern Conference semifinals. Celtics star Jaylen Brown explained the value of Thibodeau’s visit:
“That was awesome having Thibs. Obviously, they eliminated us last year. So him being able to kind of give us some of the thoughts that he saw in that series and some of the stuff that they broke down in our personnel, or even our team, helps us grow and learn from that. To have Thibs here at our practice explaining some of the things that he saw that helped them beat us only helps me get better, only helps us get better. So I value that.”
Thibodeau did more than just drop by and shake hands. He spent hours diving into film with Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, showing exactly how the Knicks exploited Boston’s weaknesses last season. The Knicks got the better of the Celtics, winning the Eastern Conference semifinal series in six games last season.
It’s not the first time Thibodeau has been part of the Celtics’ world. He worked under Doc Rivers as an associate head coach during Boston’s 2008 championship run and helped build the team’s defensive identity. With nearly 20 years as an assistant across several teams before becoming a head coach, Thibodeau’s experience is vast. From being a team captain and coach at Salem State University to shaping defenses in the NBA, he knows the game inside out.
And Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla warmly welcomed Thibodeau and praised his visit as a valuable learning opportunity for the team.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT