Knicks players share emotional reaction after coaching change shock

More than a week has passed since the Knicks dismissed Tom Thibodeau from his head coaching position after five seasons. Everyone has now had time to share their opinions on the decision, those in favor and those who were shocked. The latest to share their feeling were Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, who both gushed about their former coach on their podcast, Roommates Show.

Both players' feelings on Thibodeau have been well documented over the years. Brunson has known Thibodeau since he was a child, and credits him with developing him into the player he is today. Under Thibodeau, Brunson has made two All-Star games and been named to two All-NBA teams, as well as developing into one of the league's most formidable scorers.

Hart may embody what it is to be a "Thibs Guy" better than anyone. The gritty, hard-nosed, rebounding machine checked every box that Thibodeau desired in a player, and it is easy to see why their relationship would have blossomed as a result.

Nothing but praise

Hart made sure to stress that there should be nothing but praise for Thibodeau following his dismissal, and he is absolutely right. Say what you want about him, but he ushered a new age into New York, restoring them as a contender and providing stability to what had been an unstable, at best, franchise for the better part of two decades.

While I agree that Thibodeau was no longer the right coach for the job, he also deserves all of the credit for getting this team where they are. It is not often a coach gets let go merely days after he led them deeper in the playoffs than they had gone in 25 years, but it is a cut-throat business. Thibs got them to the door; now they need someone else to kick it down.

What comes next?

Who the person is to kick down the door remains to be seen. The Knicks have reached out to a handful of teams requesting permission to talk to their coach, which, to the surprise of no one, didn't get them far. According to several reports, the Knicks reached out to Chicago about Billy Donovan, Houston about Ime Udoka, Minnesota about Chris Finch, Atlanta about Quin Snyder, and Dallas about Jason Kidd; all of their requests were denied.

Reportedly, the Knicks have now switched their focus to two coaches whom they don't need permission to speak to, because they were both fired by their former teams during last season. Mike Brown, who last coached for the Kings, and Taylor Jenkins, who last coached for the Grizzlies, are two names to watch, according to Sam Amick of the Athletic. According to the same report, Amick expects more names to emerge in the coming days as well.