For most people who get fired, an uncertain future with a lot of questions looms. Tom Thibodeau is facing some of those questions now. Yes, there are reasons to feel bad for the former New York Knicks head coach, who was unceremoniously dumped after the Eastern Conference Finals. But there are 30 million reasons why Thibs is going to be OK.
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Derrick Rose, who played for Thibodeau in Chicago, Minnesota, and New York over eight seasons, is one of Thibs’ biggest advocates. The feeling is certainly mutual, as Thibodeau often went out of his way to find a roster spot and minutes for the former MVP.
Rose retired from the NBA almost a year ago and is pretty much enjoying his post-playing life. This past weekend, he was the grand marshal of NASCAR’s Chicago Street Race, and during a question-and-answer session, he was asked “a very serious NASCAR question” by one of the reporters: “What do you think about the Knicks firing Thibs?”
Rose laughed and said that he had talked to Thibs since it happened, then gave an answer that put the whole matter into perspective. “You can’t be mad when you [are] walkin’ away with $30 million,” he said.
That’s the amount the Knicks owe him after firing before his three-year extension even kicked in. The Knicks have to pay Thibs the equivalent of 3,000 World Series of Poker Main Event buy-ins. And the worst part, they seemed to go through with the sacking with no real plan as to who would take Thibodeau’s place.
The Knicks’ search for the next head coach was a circus in itself. They have been shot down left and right by fellow NBA teams that had no interest in allowing them to pry their head coaches away. In the end, they settled for Mike Brown, signing him to a four-year, $40 million contract a couple of days ago.
Like Thibodeau, Brown is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year winner. He too was recently fired, as the Kings let him go midway through another lackluster season. Is he a better coach than Thibs? Maybe, maybe not.
The Knicks are hoping that having a new voice in the locker room will result in the franchise’s first NBA Finals appearance since 1999. With the East being severely weakened next year, that’s certainly the expectation, especially since Thibodeau was given the boot despite guiding the team to the conference finals.
Thibs no longer has that pressure, but he does have $30 million to count while he ponders what his next move will be. Sounds like a good problem to have.
