Tom Thibodeau expects a significant amount of dedication, both physical and mental. It’s a long-standing joke that Thibodeau leaves his players on the court past the typical limit. However, New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby recently made a claim that shocked the NBA world.
“He’s a player’s coach, you know. Yeah, you have to play hard, but you should, I mean, always play hard,” Anunoby stated.
Anunoby recently re-signed with the Knicks for five years at $212.5 million. It’s clear Anunoby loves New York, but maybe Thibodeau’s hard-nosed, old-school coaching bodes well for a player with championship experience.
Back to Thibodeau, one moment sticks in the minds of NBA fans and analysts over a decade later. The infamous Derrick Rose injury suffered in 2012 in the waning minutes of a decided playoff match vs. the Philadelphia 76ers is hard to shake.
“Once you got the game in hand, you have to get your best players off the floor,” former Chicago Bulls guard stated.
Unfortunately, Rose’s ACL injury triggered years of struggle, as the 2011 NBA MVP was never the same explosive player again. In fairness, perhaps Rose’s future injuries aren’t Thibodeau’s fault, but the physical toll of playing above-average minutes doesn’t help his case.
However, Anunoby’s claim that Thibodeau is a “player’s coach” alludes to what many of the Knicks members think. They played hard for their coach during the 2024 playoffs, evident in Anunoby and other Knicks fighting through injuries. All-Star Jalen Brunson also took a $100 million discount to stay in New York and play for Thibodeau.
Although Thibodeau’s infamous minute stretching is still a factor, a player’s heart and emotions matter more than any writer, analyst, or fan’s opinion.
The New York Knicks have handed out contract extensions to major personnel left and right this offseason. Another might be on the way now that Summer League play has wrapped.
Longtime NBA insider Marc Stein revealed in his latest newsletter that Thibodeau and the Knicks remain on pace for an extension, hinting that the end of the franchise’s latest Summer League slate could give them more time to negotiate. Stein also said that the Knicks still plan to make Thibodeau one of the highest-paid men in his profession.
“There was a strong expectation (at Summer League) that a contract extension for Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau will be announced in the near future,” Stein wrote (h/t New York Basketball on X). “(He) has been regarded for weeks as a lock to receive a new deal that pays at least $10 million annually.”
The eight-figure plateau is rarefied air, even in the modern NBA: per Front Office Sports, only six of the league’s 30 bosses are making at least $10 million, paced by Steve Kerr of Golden State at $17.5.
Thibodeau was a sideline staple in Las Vegas, watching assistant Dice Yoshimoto lead the Knicks’ prospects for the fourth consecutive season. The team headlined by draft picks Pacome Dadiet and Tyler Kolek won its final three games after dropping the first couple, wrapping things up with a 90-82 triumph over the Atlanta Hawks’ group on Saturday night.
Thibodeau certainly earned a rest after what likely stands as his magnum opus to date: his fourth year at the metropolitan helm was beset by numerous injuries to major contributors but he still mustered 50 wins en route to a second-place finish on the Eastern Conference leaderboard. Barring disaster, he is set become the first New York head coach to make it to his fifth season since Jeff Van Gundy did so at the turn of the century.
This time around, Thibodeau will get to work with newcomers like Mikal Bridges amidst most of last season’s unit, which retains All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle, as well as viral contributors like OG Anunoby, Donte DiVincenzo, and Josh Hart.