Rick Carlisle thought news regarding Tom Thibodeau’s firing was AI-generated

Rick Carlisle thought news regarding Tom Thibodeau’s firing was AI-generated

After leading the Knicks to their first Eastern Conference title appearance in 25 years, head coach Tom Thibodeau was canned.

Less than 24 hours removed from the news, Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, who has bested Thibodeau in each of the last two seasons, couldn’t believe it happened—and had some things to say about the dismissal.

“[Tom Thibodeau] went in and changed so much,” he said, according to the New York Post’s Dylan Svoboda. “You look at all that and what happened yesterday, I thought [the news] was one of those fake AI things. No way. No way possible. I know how the players feel about him, too.

“Teams and ownership can make these decisions unilaterally and it’s their right to do that. Tom will certainly be fine. I don’t think he’s going to have any problem finding his next job. It’s just going to depend on when he’s ready to jump back in. I have great respect for Thibs. I go back with him a very long way. I was surprised.”

I don’t expect Carlisle to know how Twitter or the internet works. But AI is becoming more popular in everyday life, for better or worse. So his response is pretty hilarious.

Thibodeau, 67, went 226-174 in five seasons with the Knicks, including 24-23 in the postseason. There’s no question that he helped change that culture after two-plus decades mired in mediocrity, even though they fell short given the expectations heading into the new season.

You could argue that Carlisle’s voice, while blunt, is highly respected amongst his peers. It’s also not surprising that other coaches stand up for, well, other coaches. It’s not an easy profession. You get hired to eventually get fired unless you become a franchise icon. Even then, fortunes are never promised.

Knicks fire Tom Thibodeau

At least the longtime head coach will still be bagging $30 million after he signed a three-year extension last offseason? You can’t be upset about that, even though coaching a team that has the opportunity to win an NBA Title is just as exhilarating.

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