Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle didn’t hold back when asked about the Knicks’ shocking decision to fire Tom Thibodeau. “I thought it was fake,” Carlisle said. “It came across like one of those AI-generated posts.” Carlisle, who has spent decades in the league, admitted he’s become numb to unexpected firings — but this one still caught him off guard.
Carlisle praised Thibodeau for restoring competitiveness and culture in New York, a notoriously tough coaching market. “He had the players bought in. That’s not easy to do in New York,” Carlisle added, while also emphasizing that Thibs will land on his feet because “he’s too good a coach.”
But Thibodeau’s exit might not be the end of the Knicks’ internal shake-ups.
New reports suggest friction within the team involving assistant coach Rick Brunson, the father of Knicks star Jalen Brunson. According to Sam Amico of Hoops Wire, multiple players were “unhappy” with Brunson’s outsized influence, with one source claiming he holds “too big of a say”.
While Brunson’s future with the team remains uncertain, the situation could become more complicated as the Knicks search for a new head coach and try to maintain locker room harmony.
(This is a building story…)
The post Rick Carlisle Is Numb After Tom Thibodeau’s Firing as More Troubles Brew in Knicks Over Rick Brunson appeared first on EssentiallySports.