The coach that lives and breathes basketball gets to come back to the mecca. Tom Thibodeau and the New York Knicks have reportedly agreed to a three-year extension, according to ESPN’s senior NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
The new deal for the Knicks head coach will put him under contract through the 2027-28 NBA season. No financial specifics were released.
Thibodeau, 66 years old, is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year and has guided the Knicks to the playoffs in three of his four seasons at the helm, including consecutive appearances in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Embed from Getty ImagesThibodeau ranks fifth in franchise history with 175 wins.
The Knicks have gone two games over .500, 175-173, since Thibodeau was hired in 2020, with 97 of those wins coming in the last two years. He is the fifth-winningest head coach in franchise history after the legendary Red Holzman (613 wins), Joe Lapchick (326), Jeff Van Gundy (248) and Pat Riley (223). Thibodeau was Van Gundy’s longtime assistant.
According to ESPN Stats and Information, the Knicks are one of four NBA teams that finished in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency last season. The champion Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets were the other three teams.
The Knicks are Thibodeau’s third head-coaching stop in the NBA, including runs with the Chicago Bulls (2010-2015) and the Minnesota Timberwolves (2016-2019). He has posted a record of 527-389 (.575) in 13 overall seasons, including 38-47 (.447) in the playoffs
As expectations go through the roof in New York, the Knicks went out and added Mikal Bridges, from the Brooklyn Nets this summer and re-signed key players in OG Anunoby and Jalen Brunson, a glaring indication that they are intending to go all in and compete for their third NBA championship.
