Knicks owner James Dolan’s role in Tom Thibodeau’s firing explained: Could
Player input sounded alarms within the New York Knicks‘ organization leading to Tom Thibodeau’s firing.
It was owner James Dolan who made the final call to move on from a coach who led the team to the conference finals for the first time in 25 years.
“The day that the Knicks got eliminated, James Edwards and I came out with that story that we had alignment that (Thibodeau) has support from Jalen Brunson and has the backing of Leon Rose, however, James Dolan is the final decision maker on these sorts of decisions,” Katz said on Friday’s episode of the Katz and Shoot podcast.
“And there were some people who aggregated that and said we were reporting that Thibs was safe. No, we weren’t.
According to The Athletic’s Fred Katz, Dolan played a larger role than most owners with an abrupt coaching decision.
We were reporting if it were up to Rose and Brunson, Thibs was safe, but it’s not up to Rose and Brunson. There was a final decision-maker, who was leaving it linger. We had an inkling that James Dolan would want (Thibodeau) out. We didn’t know for sure, so we couldn’t report that James Dolan wants to fire Thibs, but we had an inkling.
“Then, Vinnie Goodwill (Yahoo Sports) comes out with an accurate report about what happens during end-of-season meetings.
James Dolan sat in on exit interviews, I can tell you, I have spoken to a number of people from a number of different organizations around the league — an owner sitting in on exit interviews is … it raised eyebrows. It’s not a normal, regular thing.
That’s not a routine thing. It wasn’t something that happened with the Knicks until this time around.”
Dawn Staley’s record-breaking salary could be smashed after Knicks ‘interview’
The New York Knicks are reportedly considering Dawn Staley among several head coaching candidates, and could offer her a mammoth salary months after she signed a record deal.
South Carolina made Dawn Staley the highest-paid coach in the history of women’s college basketball earlier this year, but her salary could be dwarfed if the New York Knicks hire her.
According to a report by Knicks Fan TV, Staley has been interviewed for the vacant head coaching role as the NBA organization continues to consider top candidates ahead of next season. The Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau after New York lost to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals.
Thibodeau signed a three-year extension with the Knicks that was set to start next season, worth a reported $11 million annually.
The extension would have ranked Thibodeau tied for sixth among the highest-paid NBA coaches, but even the median salary smashes Staley’s current terms.
