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Former Knicks guard Chris Childs raves about Tom Thibodeau on podcast

By Jordanna Clark

23 Apr 2000: Chris Childs tries to get the crowd into the game after teammate Larry Johnson hit a three-point basket to give the Knicks a 88-85 over the Toronto Raptors at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Knicks won game one of the first round playoff matchup 92-88.
23 Apr 2000: Chris Childs tries to get the crowd into the game after teammate Larry Johnson hit a three-point basket to give the Knicks a 88-85 over the Toronto Raptors at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Knicks won game one of the first round playoff matchup 92-88. /
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Chris Childs’ career might’ve started and ended with the Nets in New Jersey, but he spent the majority of his nine-year career with the New York Knicks. During Childs’ four-and-a-half seasons in New York, Tom Thibodeau was an assistant coach.

Childs was recently a guest on the “Bad Weather Fans” podcast and he and the co-hosts discussed topics ranging from Michael Jordan and the Bulls to Obi Toppin.

A polarizing topic amongst Knicks fans is Thibodeau. This time last year, the head coach was a saint after leading New York to the playoffs and winning the 2020-21 NBA Coach of the Year award.

But after the Knicks’ 37-45 record this past season, along with a flurry of questionable decisions by Thibodeau, fans have turned their backs on him.

Childs, however, is still a fan of Thibodeau and praised him while also cracking a couple of jokes about him in the process.

Chris Childs calls New York Knicks’ Tom Thibodeau “one of the best to ever do it.”

Childs said that Thibodeau is still the same person and has the same intensity as he did over two decades ago. Oh, and apparently the coach sounds like Count von Count from Sesame Street. Childs might be hearing from Thibodeau directly after that remark, but after he said that, the former guard went on to say:

"“He was intense. He really put in the work to make us a better team. Defensive schemes – he’s one of the best to ever do it. Him and Jeff worked well together because Jeff was X and O offense and Thibs was defense.”"

Thibodeau is a defensive-minded head coach, which is something that New York prided itself on during its playoff run a year ago. The Knicks’ main issues are on offense, which can be highlighted by the team’s numerous collapses this past season.

A disappointing year caused many to turn against Thibodeau (including a couple of people in the front office), but Childs can be added to the list of people who are in favor of the coach. A couple of weeks ago, RJ Barrett appeared on JJ Redick and Tommy Alter’s podcast and referred to Thibodeau as “my guy.”

Childs called Thibodeau “an all-around general good guy” and he even said that he’s glad that the coach is in New York. Thibodeau must be glad, too, considering the ample amount of pasta options in the city (thanks for that insight, Childs).

Thibodeau will be entering his third season as the Knicks’ head coach and hopefully, he’s able to replicate a year similar to 2020-21. If not, he could be on his way out the door.

Regardless of how you may feel about him, Thibodeau seems to have a high approval rating amongst his current/former players, and although he likely doesn’t care about what others think of him, let’s hope that his approval rating with New York’s fanbase shoots up in 2022-23.

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