Knicks’ Jalen Brunson Reveals Emotional Impact Behind Thibodeau’s Sudden Exit

Everyone loves a riveting story of loyalty, legacy, and evolution—especially when it plays out on the bright lights of Madison Square Garden. Jalen Brunson’s journey with the New York Knicks reads like a well-scripted drama that’s part family tale, part basketball saga. See, Jalen’s rise under the watchful eye of Tom Thibodeau wasn’t just a coincidence; it’s a multi-generational dance. His dad, Rick Brunson, cut his teeth alongside Thibodeau across several teams, stitching a bond that transcended the ordinary coach-player dynamic. Together, they helped propel the Knicks to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in over two decades—a monumental feat that got fans dreaming of NBA Finals glory once again. But just when the smoke cleared from that hard-fought campaign, the Knicks pulled the rug from under Thibodeau, replacing him with Mike Brown in a bold bid for a fresh chapter. Now, as Jalen and his teammates embrace this new era, there’s a cunning mix of respect for the past and excitement for what lies ahead. Buckle up—it’s gonna be a wild ride this season. LEARN MORE.

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson ascended to stardom under Tom Thibodeau. His father, Rick Brunson, played under Thibodeau when he was an assistant for the Knicks and the Houston Rockets. Then Rick Brunson coached on Thibodeau’s bench, first with the Chicago Bulls, then with the Minnesota Timberwolves and most recently with the Knicks.

All three of them were part of the Knicks making the Eastern Conference finals this past season for the first time since 2000. New York fell two wins shy of its first trip to the NBA Finals since 1999.

But, less than a week after the team’s Game 6 defeat to the Indiana Pacers, the Knicks fired Thibodeau. In July, they hired Mike Brown as their next head coach.

Jalen Brunson spoke publicly about the coaching change for the first time Tuesday when the Knicks held their season-opening media day.

“It’s sad to see a man I’ve known for a long time part ways with this organization,” Brunson, now a two-time NBA All-Star, said while fielding a question about Thibodeau’s removal.

“But he’s meant a lot to me. I’ve expressed that to him publicly and personally.”

Brunson added: “Yeah, he’s meant a lot to my career up to this point.”

Brunson, a 2018 second-round pick of the Dallas Mavericks who won two NCAA championships at Villanova, signed with the Knicks in free agency ahead of the 2022-23 season and immediately made a splash. He’s averaged 26.4 points per game over the course of his first three seasons with the organization, leading New York to at least one playoff series victory each season.

During that stretch, he’s been joined by a collection of his college teammates, including Josh Hart, who previously played for the Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans and Portland Trail Blazers but signed a four-year, $81 million extension with the Knicks leading up to the 2023-24 season. This past season, Hart recorded a league-leading 37.6 minutes per game while averaging 13.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

After talking Tuesday about enjoying the summer with his family, Hart stopped a reporter midway through their question about the coaching change.

“We were just talking about summer. Damn,” Hart said jokingly. “Messing up the mood already? Alright, go on. Let’s do it.”

Hart eventually noted: “Yeah, obviously, I love Thibs. I’m always going to have love for Thibs for the things that he helped me with and putting me in a position to be successful, to be paid. So always got love for him, and I hope he’s doing well right now. But obviously we have Mike, and we’re extremely excited about what he brings to the table offensively and defensively. And obviously there’s going to be a little bit of a feeling out process.

“But we’re excited. We’re excited with what this team has, what this team can be. But now it’s about gelling.”

“Excited” is the same word Brunson used to describe his early takeaways from working with Brown, who most recently led the Sacramento Kings for two-plus seasons and is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year and four-time NBA champion as an assistant.

“I think it’s going to be fun,” said Brunson, who pointed out he and his teammates have to be willing to adapt.

“It’s a new year. Everything’s going to be new, so everything’s going to be exciting in the beginning. Just really excited to get this season started. I think I can probably answer some of these questions better once we actually start practicing and get to know each other a little better.”

The 2025-26 season marks the second straight season the Knicks have entered coming off a seismic change. They began the 2024-25 campaign after trading for center Karl-Anthony Towns and wing Mikal Bridges.

Despite back-to-back 50-win seasons — the Knicks’ first since 1993-95 — the organization has switched things up.

“For me, it’s my job to go out there and just find a way to help this team win,” Brunson said after being asked about those changes. “There’s different people in this organization with different jobs and different things that they have to do to be able to make this team better, and that’s their point of view.

“So, for me, I have to just come in and do my job as best of my abilities.”