“Tom Thibodeau leaves New York with four playoff series wins. The Knicks had just one playoff series win since 2000 before Thibs arrived 😳” — that was the stat ESPN posted the day he was fired, just days after he had coached the team to its first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years. The move left everyone asking the same question: What on earth were the Knicks thinking? We just got a potential answer, and it came from an unexpected place: The Bill Simmons Podcast.

On a recent episode, Doc Rivers—who has been fired himself from contending teams with the Clippers and 76ers—offered a stunning piece of inside information. While the firing seemed abrupt, Rivers suggested the groundwork for Thibodeau’s dismissal may have been laid in the immediate, emotional aftermath of their season-ending loss to the Pacers.

Rivers, a long-time friend of Thibodeau’s, explained his theory on why teams make rash decisions, a theory born from his own experience of being let go. “I don’t think any team should ever do exit meetings the day after you lose,” he began. “The problem is, you just lost. Nobody’s happy. And then, they ask, ‘Tell me about the coach.’ Well, some guys love you because you played them. But others, who were on your side all year, may no longer be on your side.”

Then, Rivers revealed the key piece of the puzzle: a private phone call he had with Thibs. “Tibs and I talked after he got fired, and yeah—those exit meetings definitely came up. Nothing good can come from them when emotions are still raw.”

Doc, speaking from a place of hard-won experience, knows exactly how toxic that environment can be. He contrasted it with the current Finals, where players like Isaiah Hartenstein are completely bought in. When asked about his role changing, Hartenstein’s response was simple: “Hey, we’re just trying to win. I completely trust my coach.” As Rivers pointed out, that’s the culture of a winning team. “When your best player does it,” he said, “it’s easy to coach. Everybody else falls in line.”

The problem is, that trust can fracture in the heat of a disappointing loss, and it sounds like that’s exactly what happened in New York. Rivers drove the point home by talking about long-term stability, citing how the Utah Jazz never panicked and fired Jerry Sloan. “I thought the Knicks were getting to that point,” he said mournfully. “And now Tibs is gone.”

Now, the Knicks are living with the consequences. Their chaotic coaching search has seen them publicly denied permission to speak with multiple employed coaches. This has forced them to pivot to the pool of available candidates, and according to reports, one name is at the top of their list: former Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins.

Jenkins’ situation in Memphis is strangely similar to Thibodeau’s in New York. He became the Grizzlies’ all-time winningest coach and was widely praised for his role in developing Ja Morant and a young core into a legitimate contender. Yet, he was surprisingly fired in March after what the front office reportedly saw as a defensive slide and a clash over offensive philosophy.

Jenkins, who comes from the respected Mike Budenholzer coaching tree, has a reputation as a modern, player-friendly coach. The question now is whether the Knicks, in their panicked search, see him as the answer or just the most qualified person available. But while the Knicks front office scrambles, the players Tom Thibodeau empowered are making their feelings perfectly clear.

While the front office looks for a new coach, players praise the old one

On their Roommates Show podcast, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart didn’t just defend their former coach; they gave a masterclass in what loyalty looks like, directly contradicting any narrative that the locker room had turned on him.

Brunson, who transformed into a two-time All-NBA player under Thibs, got personal. “He had a confidence in me that I knew I had, but it’s great to see someone push me to be better,” Brunson said, his gratitude evident. “Not enough things can be said about what he’s meant to myself, my career.” Josh Hart was just as forceful, crediting Thibodeau for rescuing his career.

“I had a lot of instability in the early part of my career,” Hart explained, having played for the Lakers, Pelicans, and Trail Blazers before finding a home in New York. “He gave me that stability and that opportunity to flourish… I’m always gonna be forever grateful for him.”

Hart then took aim at the bigger picture, and the fans who were celebrating the firing. “He took the job when the Knicks were just bums, like 20 wins,” Hart stated bluntly. “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.”

This is the buy-in Doc Rivers was talking about. Thibodeau built a culture of trust and accountability, and his star players are now his most vocal defenders. So, while the Knicks front office may have heard a few disgruntled voices in those emotional exit meetings, the heart of the team was clearly still beating with its coach. 

This all leads to the messy reality the Knicks now face. Having created a power vacuum by firing a coach their stars loved, they’ve opened the door for other teams—and coaches—to use their desperation as leverage. While they are set to interview available candidates like Mike Brown and Taylor Jenkins, the Knicks’ dream target is reportedly Jason Kidd. Despite the Mavericks firmly denying the Knicks permission for an interview, a new theory has emerged.

As The Athletic’s James L. Edwards put it, “The belief around the league is that Kidd and [Billy] Donovan are looking for contract extensions from their current franchises, and if those don’t materialize, they might be open to joining the Knicks.”

So, are the Knicks actually in the running for Kidd, or are they just a pawn in his contract negotiations with Dallas? This is the chaos you invite when you fire a successful coach without a clear succession plan. For a franchise that finally seemed to have found stability, they now find themselves in a high-stakes waiting game, hoping another team’s negotiation breaks their way.