Last week, Tom Thibodeau had the New York Knicks on the brink of their first trip to the NBA Finals in more than a quarter-century.

Days later, he was relieved of his coaching duties.

The Knicks fired Thibodeau on Tuesday, just three days after their season ended in the Eastern Conference finals.

"Our organisation is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans. This pursuit led us to the difficult decision to inform Tom Thibodeau that we've decided to move in another direction," Knicks President Leon Rose said in a statement.

.@nyknicks Announce Coaching Change pic.twitter.com/XhWOUSwWvn

— NY Knicks PR (@NY_KnicksPR) June 3, 2025

Thibodeau was hired by New York in 2020, and led the Knicks to the play-offs in four of his five seasons at the helm.

In his first season in New York, he helped the Knicks end a seven-year play-off drought and won his second NBA Coach of the Year award.

This season, he led the franchise to its first berth in the East finals in 25 years, but things fell apart quickly and the team fell short of reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.

In Game 1 against the Indiana Pacers at a raucous Madison Square Garden, the Knicks collapsed down the stretch in an improbable overtime loss, and lost again at home two days later to fall into an 0-2 hole. They were eventually eliminated in Game 6 with a 17-point loss on Saturday.

Thibodeau finished his career with a 226-174 record as coach of the Knicks - his win total ranking fourth most in franchise history.