Thibs Tribute Thread

[GONYK]

I don't know if we've ever done this for a coach, but I think this man definitely deserves one.

Today marks the end of an era.

Thibs brought pride back to Madison Square Garden.

But before the hot takes, before the debates about rotations or shot charts, let’s take a moment to say what truly matters:

Thibs mattered.

When he arrived in 2020, the Knicks were disrespected by everyone. He inherited a team that hadn’t tasted a playoff series win in nearly a decade, and a culture that had forgotten what it meant to fight. He got what F*cking Fizdale left behind.

And what did Thibs bring?

Accountability. Identity. Grit.

He made the Knicks matter again.

In just his first season, he turned a group of underdogs into a 4-seed, winning NBA Coach of the Year and awakening the Garden with chants it hadn’t heard in years: “Dee-fense!” and “MVP!” for a Julius Randle he helped unlock. He resurrected the careers of journeymen, forged a top-5 defense from grit and sweat, and made every game feel like war because to Thibs, they all were.

In a league that changes faster than the scoreboard, Thibs stayed true to who he was: loyal to effort, obsessed with preparation, and absolutely allergic to excuses. Thibs never mailed it in.

And maybe most of all he gave us playoff basketball in New York again. Three trips. Unforgettable runs. The kind of nights where the Garden roared.

He brought the belief that we could be champions back.

So, thank you, Coach Thibs.

You didn’t just coach the Knicks.

You restored their soul.

I'll be forever grateful that you handed off this team much better than you found it.

[Jeff Van Gully]

thank you, my coach. i know what it meant to you.

peace to the guards.

[koogiking]

Salute. He did a great job overall but I can see where there is room for improvement. I wish him the best. Appreciate the good he did for the team

[eagle54]

Thank you for the work. We know his limitations, but he did a good job to pull us out of defeat. Thanks for the culture.

[aq_ua]

Was it 2020? Feels like such a long time ago. It’s hard to stick around as an NBA coach, let alone with the Knicks. I hope and pray whomever is next can figure out how to build on the foundation that Thibs built. It’s a mighty tough ask for anyone.

[NYKinMIA]

[R-DAWG]

Thibs did what he was brought here to do - change the culture. And simply put, he has been the most successful coach this franchise has had since Jeff Van Gundy.

His teams played hard. Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson turned into all-stars. Quentin Grimes, Duce McBride and Immanuel Quickley became successful late draft finds. Isiah Hartenstein and Donte DeVincenzo had career years.

His teams won. 4 playoff appearances. Back to back 50 win seasons. 3 straight years winning a playoff series. Making an eastern conference finals.

On a human level, I feel for Thibs. He didn't deserve to get fired based on the job he did.

But this is an all-in roster with flaws, and it's hard to not question if he is the right guy for this job.

But he didn't get fired because of the job he did here. He did a good job here. This current roster just isn't built for his strengths.

[KnicksGadfly]

Cavs win, Sixers win, Celtics win…some of my favorite memories as a Knicks fan

Thank you, coach Thibs

[Capn'O]

Perfectly said, GO. This job went from one that good coaches actively avoided to one that's going to be one of the more coveted positions leaguewide and Thibs is a huge part of why. If fact, he played a big role in the last two times the Knicks played for anything meaningful.

Thanks for putting us back on the NBA map Coach! Count me in as a fan who deeply appreciated the dedication and success you've brought us.

[Polk377]

Knicks culture is back in NY and Thibs deserves a lot of credit for it. Put together some of my favorite teams in the last 30 years of fandom. It is a shame he couldn't get over the hump and raise that trophy in the Garden. As a coach and someone who has given his all to the profession, no one deserves it more. He will always be welcome at the Mecca. Good luck Coach Thibs

[JXL]

Thank you for bringing this franchise back to relevancy.

Too bad the game passed you by.

Enjoy yourself, Karen.



(The pic is a joke)

[Kidknick!]

Thanks for being a good caretaker. But the future is NOW! Onward!

[mpharris36]

Thank you for bringing this franchise back to relevancy.

Too bad the game passed you by.

Enjoy yourself, Karen.



(The pic is a joke)

MPH -


nope, we legit just had someone post something similar about KAT and it wasn't acceptable this isn't either.

[mpharris36]

Appreciate Thibs for how he brought this organization back to stability and winning. He is one of the best coaches in Knicks history and will be remember for a lot of the good he did.

Sometimes you outgrow and need a new voice to get to the promise land and thats all this was.

Enjoy your retirement!

[gavran]

Thibs was like my first apartment. Old, outdated, and perfectly adequate for what I needed for a short time, but I've sold the sh+t out of it immediately I had a chance to upgrade. Although I do live with my mum at the moment, so maybe it's nothing like it.

[Loisl]

Thibs will always have a special place in my knicks heart. Nothing but respect. This was necessary though. Enjoy 30 mil, you have earned it.

[Worst_to_First]

Thanks for everything you have done for our Knicks Thibs! I really wanted you to get a ring as a coach but I guess some things just weren’t meant to be.

Hope you can still stay with the team in some capacity and still get that ring altogether.

[Phish Tank]

Basketball Buck Showalter. Thanks for raising the floor. Now time for a real innovator to take us to the promised land

[Fury]

We needed someone like him and he came through. He will be remembered as a big part of our journey. I will miss him. Thank you, Thibs.

[Handledatruth]

I criticize him, but I do love the winning culture he brought back to the Knicks. He also seems to do the same for all teams he coaches. The risk of this move is that we end up like Chicago who seems to have never recovered from Thibs leaving, but I trust in Jalen Brunson on this one. Great coach but retirement (even if forced) comes for us all. Hopefully he makes it into the front office.