It has already been over four months since Tom Thibodeau was fired by the New York Knicks, following their Eastern Finals exit.
The former Knicks head coach unexpectedly attended the Boston Celtics’ practice on Monday, just 48 hours before opening night.
The Celtics were recently dethroned by the Knicks in the playoffs’ semifinals last season, prompting fans to ponder being ousted despite their deep run.
Jaylen Brown, one of the team’s leaders, showed respect for Thibodeau, believing they can learn and grow from their recent loss, especially from the coach who defeated them.
“I think that was awesome having Thibs,” Jaylen Brown said. “Obviously, they eliminated us last year. So him being able to give us some of the thoughts that he saw in that series, and some of the stuff that they broke down in our personnel or even our team, helps us grow and learn from that. We lost last year. It stung losing to the Knicks. So to have Thibs here at our practice and explaining some of the things that he saw that helped them beat us only helps me get better, only helps us get better. So I value that. Shoutout to Thibs for being here today.”
On the other hand, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla also expressed appreciation for having him in the practice, where they discussed some coaching knowledge to improve the organization.
“He’s been, obviously, one of the best coaches around for a long time. [He] worked here, won a championship here. Just having him around makes me better, makes our organization better. So it’s a lot of respect for him,” Mazzulla said.
Thibodeau led the New York Knicks to their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 25 years, also earning a playoff spot four times under his five-year tenure.
He was a former championship assistant with the Boston Celtics in 2008, while also earning the Coach of the Year award twice in 2011 and 2021
