When you’ve been around the NBA block as long as Rick Carlisle, you think you’ve seen it all. But even he admits Tom Thibodeau’s firing by the New York Knicks left him genuinely surprised — and a little numb. And honestly, if Rick Carlisle, who’s handled everything from title runs to rebuilds, is taken aback, you know this Knicks shakeup is next-level drama.

“Yeah, I mean, I get asked about these things pretty often, and I always say I’m shocked — and sometimes you see enough of it that you just become numb. But in this case… yeah, I was genuinely surprised,” Carlisle told reporters with that trademark deadpan you could probably use to sell ice to Canada.

Why the shock? Because the Knicks gig is arguably the NBA’s Mount Everest of coaching jobs. The pressure, the media circus, the city’s heartbeat—it’s like trying to nail a free throw with a swarm of bees buzzing your face. Carlisle laid it out: “The coaches who’ve found real success there? Red Holzman, Pat Riley, Jeff Van Gundy — even Rick Pitino had a brief but impactful run. But after that, there were a lot of lean years.”

Enter Thibs. The guy who made the Knicks competitive again, turned the team into playoff warriors, and earned himself Coach of the Year honors in 2021. Players bought in, culture shifted, and suddenly New York wasn’t just the city that never sleeps—it was the city that never quits.

So when the bombshell dropped that the Knicks were parting ways with Thibodeau after a strong playoff run — their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 25 years — it hit harder than a Patrick Ewing block on a fast break.

Carlisle’s initial reaction? “I thought it was fake. It came across like one of those AI-generated posts. I thought, ‘There’s no way this is real.’” Same, Rick. Same.

But wait, there is more drama stirring up after Thibs?

But if you thought that was the end of Knicks chaos, hold onto your foam fingers. More drama has been swirling around Rick Brunson, assistant coach and, not-so-coincidentally, the dad of star guard Jalen Brunson. According to sources reported by Hoops Wire’s Sam Amico, multiple Knicks players were reportedly “unhappy” with Rick’s presence, saying he had “too big of a say” in things.

One insider even claimed Brunson held “the most power in the entire organization.” That’s right, the assistant coach could be running more of the show than the Knicks’ owner James Dolan does on a Twitter rant. Whether or not Brunson will stick around after Thibs’ exit is unclear, but considering the family ties, many expect him to remain.

This internal tension paints a complex picture: a team with playoff success but simmering unrest behind the scenes. Some players’ discomfort with Brunson was also mentioned by Brian Geltzeiler of Sirius XM, so it’s not just whispers—it’s a full-on Knicks soap opera.

Remember, Thibs wasn’t just any coach. He went 226-174 in the regular season and held a 24-23 playoff record. He boasts the highest winning percentage (.579) of any coach without an NBA Finals appearance among those who’ve coached 300+ games. Think of him as the NBA’s version of that guy who always crushes the midterms but never quite nails the final exam.

Leon Rose, Knicks president, reportedly made the call to fire Thibodeau after consulting with top players. Owner James Dolan was also in the meeting, showing this wasn’t some impulsive Twitter-driven decision but a boardroom shakeup. Rose said, “Our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans,” which, honestly, sounds like a line from a sports movie montage right before the big comeback.

So, who’s next? The Knicks have eyes on Jason Kidd and Ime Udoka, coaching stars with resumes that might just make fans hopeful. But Dallas and Houston aren’t exactly eager to let their head coaches chat with New York, so negotiations could be tougher than the Knicks’ defense in the 2010s.

Meanwhile, Carlisle’s takeaway? “I know how much the players respect [Thibs], how they feel about him — and that matters. But at the end of the day, teams and ownership have the right to make these decisions unilaterally. That’s part of the business.”

Translation: It’s messy, but it’s basketball. The Knicks drama is far from over — and as every millennial knows, you don’t hit snooze on this show; you watch it play out live, popcorn in hand.