Brunson on Thibs firing: He 'meant a lot to me'

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Jalen Brunson admitted it was hard for him to spot Tom Thibodeau, whom he's known since childhood, depart the New York Knicks.

Brunson spoke publically for the archetypal clip since the Knicks fired Thibodeau successful June, ending his five-year coaching tenure punctuated by New York's archetypal quality successful the Eastern Conference finals since 2000.

"I deliberation evidently it's bittersweet to spot a antheral I've known for a agelong clip portion ways with this organization," Brunson said Tuesday astatine the Knicks' season-opening media day. "But he's meant a batch to me. I've expressed that to him, publically and personally. He's meant a batch to my vocation up to this point."

Brunson's narration with Thibodeau goes backmost to childhood, arsenic his father, Rick, has some served arsenic an adjunct manager connected Thibodeau's coaching staffs with the Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves. Rick Brunson besides played nether Thibodeau erstwhile helium was an adjunct manager with some the Knicks and Houston Rockets.

After coming to the Knicks arsenic a escaped cause 3 years ago, Brunson has morphed into 1 of the league's champion players, making back-to-back All-Star and All-NBA teams portion starring New York to playoff wins successful 3 consecutive seasons for the archetypal clip successful a generation, including past twelvemonth league finals run.

All of that, though, wasn't capable to prevention Thibodeau's job, arsenic helium was fired soon aft the Knicks mislaid successful six games to the Indiana Pacers connected the cusp of the NBA Finals.

Brunson, 29, averaged 26.4 points per crippled successful his 3 seasons nether Thibodeau and was named the NBA's Clutch Player of the Year past season. After New York's season-ending Game 6 nonaccomplishment successful Indiana, helium was asked astir Thibodeau being the close manager for the occupation moving forward.

"Is that a existent question close now? You conscionable asked maine if I judge he's the close guy," Brunson said astatine the time. "Yes. Come on."

Brunson, similar the remainder of the Knicks, present is taking an optimistic stance astir what moving with caller manager Mike Brown volition beryllium like.

It besides marks the 2nd consecutive twelvemonth that the Knicks volition participate the play having made important changes aft playoff success. New York traded for Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges past summer.

"Yeah, well, for me, it's my occupation to spell retired determination and conscionable find a mode to assistance this squad win," Brunson said. "There's antithetic radical successful this enactment with antithetic jobs and antithetic things they person to bash to marque this squad better. And that's their constituent of view. For me, I person to travel successful and bash my occupation to the champion of my abilities."

While helium didn't person the lifelong narration with Thibodeau that Brunson has, Josh Hart besides rapidly forged a beardown 1 with the manager during their season-and-a-half moving together. Hart enjoyed the champion play of his vocation past play nether Thibodeau with the Knicks, averaging career-highs successful rebounds (9.6), assists (5.9) and steals (1.5).

Hart besides said helium would miss Thibodeau's beingness astir the franchise, but that helium was optimistic astir the aboriginal moving with Brown.

"Obviously, I emotion Thibs," Hart said. "I'm ever gonna person emotion for Thibs for the things that helium helped maine with and putting maine successful a presumption to get paid. So I ever got emotion for him. Hope he's doing good close now.

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