John McEnroe brutally reacts to Tom Thibodeau firing live on air at French Open
Tennis legend New York Knicks fan John McEnroe was taken by surprise upon learning that his favorite NBA team had fired its head coach while live on-air.
John McEnroe did little to hide his frustration upon learning live on-air that the New York Knicks fired head coach Tom Thibodeau.
On Tuesday, the Knicks announced that they’d be parting ways with Thibodeau just days after New York was ousted from the playoffs by the Indiana Pacers.
The news of Thibodeau’s ousting was a tough pill to swallow for McEnroe, who’s known for being outspoken on the court as well as an avid fan of the Knicks and the NBA. While commentating the French Open quarterfinal match between Carlos Alcaraz and Tommy Paul, the 66-year-old was asked to provide his two cents on the Knicks’ decision.
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“That’s pretty harsh. That is a bummer,” McEnroe despondently said.
Over the last five seasons, Thibodeau commanded the Knicks to a stellar 226-174 record while reaching the postseason in four of his five campaigns at the helm. Most recently, New York reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years, but was unable to advance past Game 6.
Noted New York Knicks fan John McEnroe gives some instant reaction to the Tom Thibodeau firing during the French Open pic.twitter.com/CxrZcjKDMi
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Taking to social media, droves of Knicks supporters thanked Thibodeau for his role in turning around the downtrodden franchise. Actor and superfan Ben Stiller penned a touching tribute to the 67-year-old, writing: “I am a Tom Thibodeau fan. He brought this team back. I felt he gave every bit of himself and was always looking to improve.
“I will always be grateful for how far he brought the Knicks. They are relevant again. They are championship contenders again. The Knicks became winners again with him. Thank you COACH THIBS.”
He later added in a separate post: “We should all take Thibs out to dinner and thank him profusely one by one for the incredible work of the last 5 years and the excitement we have all felt that we didn’t feel for a long time before he arrived. Respect and wishing him great success.”
Knicks star Josh Hart kept it short but sweet, writing: “Forever Grateful. Thank You!” alongside an orange and blue heart emoji.
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In the end, Thibodeau’s inability to translate regular-season success into the playoffs was ultimately his downfall. During his tenure in the Big Apple, the Knicks went just 24-23 in the postseason.
“Our organization 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 team president Leon Rose said in an official statement. “We can’t thank Tom enough for pouring his heart and soul into each and every day of being the New York Knicks head coach.
“He led us not only with class and professionalism for the past five seasons, but also to tremendous success on the court with four playoff berths and four playoff series victories. Ultimately, we made the decision we feel is best for our organization moving forward. Tom will always be a part of our Knicks family and we truly wish him nothing but the best in the future.”
