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New York Times
42 minutes ago
- Sport
- New York Times
The Knicks knew they wanted to fire Tom Thibodeau. After that? Well, you're seeing it
INDIANAPOLIS — Firing Tom Thibodeau was the plan. For all of you who keep wondering what coaching search playbook the New York Knicks are working from, confused by the fact that they didn't have a realistic replacement in mind when they fired the most successful coach in their last quarter century on June 3 and are now trying to steal other team's head coaches as if this is an episode of 'NBA Bachelor,' you're missing the revelation here. Advertisement The Knicks, and owner James Dolan most of all, were done with Thibodeau long before he led them to their first East finals appearance since 2000. Everything that came after the choice to send him packing, with the Knicks having now been denied permission to speak to another team's head coach five times (that we know of), was a wild goose chase the likes of which we've never seen in the Association. By the time Game 3 of the finals tipped off at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday, when so many front office types and staffers on hand were chatting about the Knicks nonsense before the game, Chicago's Billy Donovan had been added to to the list that already included the Houston Rockets' Ime Udoka, Minnesota's Chris Finch, Atlanta's Quin Snyder and Dallas' Jason Kidd. While there are still some who wonder if Kidd might try to push his way out, or perhaps inspire Mavericks ownership to give him an extension in lieu of such a move, the Mavericks have been adamant internally that Kidd isn't going anywhere. For the sake of additional context, I spent part of Wednesday evening trying to figure out which other current head coaches the Knicks might have attempted to contact. And while there were no new names revealed, it's worth sharing that league sources say the Knicks did not request permission to speak to this elite coaching crew: The Pacers' Rick Carlisle, the Warriors' Steve Kerr, the Bucks' Doc Rivers, the Clippers' Ty Lue and the Lakers' JJ Redick. Now the coaches who were pursued are all very capable and widely-respected, to be sure, but the fact that the Knicks have chosen to conduct the search in such an audacious manner tells you all you need to know about the root cause of this ridiculousness. They were done with Thibs a while ago — never mind that he led the way on a historic run and was reportedly still owed at least $30 million on his deal. And chances are, the only thing that could have saved him was winning the whole damn thing. Advertisement The rumblings about Thibodeau being in trouble were there before the playoffs, when the noise was loud enough to inspire several phone calls from yours truly to inquire about this topic. Some people close to Thibodeau said they'd be stunned if the Knicks did something that rash. Others close to the Knicks insisted that all was well — especially once they downed Detroit in the first round and upset the defending champion Celtics in the semifinals. This is hardly the first time a coach was facing an all-or-nothing sort of playoff challenge behind the scenes. But unlike Mike Budenholzer in 2021, when his Milwaukee Bucks won the franchise's first title in 50 years, and after he was known to be in serious peril entering the postseason, Thibodeau fell short in those East finals against Indiana. The axe fell in stunning fashion three days later, with our James Edwards and Fred Katz expertly detailing all the reasons, and now the league at large is watching the Madison Square Garden mess that has ensued ever since. Yet with the Knicks seemingly shooting air balls left and right in pursuit of employed head coaches, league sources say there is an increased Knicks focus on two former coaches who don't require permission to pursue: Mike Brown (last with the Sacramento Kings) and Taylor Jenkins (formerly of the Memphis Grizzlies). There could certainly be more names of (available) head coaches emerging soon, as a league source said the Knicks are planning on finalizing that list in the coming days. But Brown, in particular, profiles as an interesting option given the complicated nature of the Knicks' inner circle. While Dolan is the holder of supreme Knicks power, and team president Leon Rose is the undisputed leader of the front office, executive vice president William Wesley (aka 'Worldwide Wes') continues to have the kind of influence that matters a great deal during times like these. For Brown's purposes, it certainly doesn't hurt his case that his close relationship with Wesley dates back to the mid-2000s days when Brown was coaching LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers (Wesley, at that time, was a league-wide power broker and one of James' primary confidantes). As was the case with Kidd and Udoka, Brown interviewed for the Knicks position in 2020 before it went to Thibodeau. Yet while he didn't get the job back then, with some believing that Thibodeau had already been deemed the unofficial choice by the time Brown's interview took place, league sources say he left a very strong impression. He was hired by the Kings two summers later, then went on to deliver the best two-year stretch in nearly two decades for the long-struggling organization before getting fired midway through this season. Advertisement As for Jenkins, he became the Grizzlies' all-time leader in wins during his six seasons, only to get fired with just a few weeks left in this regular season and be replaced by assistant coach Tuomas Iisalo. The move, which came after a stretch in which Memphis lost 13 of 22 games heading into the postseason, did not have the desired effect on the rest of their run (unless getting swept by Oklahoma City was the goal). His glowing reputation, it's safe to say, remains intact. To have all of this unfold with the Pacers somehow still persevering, meanwhile, is quite fitting. The same team that handed the Bucks a gentleman's sweep, then did the same to the 64-win Cleveland Cavaliers before downing New York in six games, is suddenly looking worthy of being an NBA champion after downing Oklahoma City in Game 3 and going up 2-1 in these finals. By proxy, that means the Knicks might not have been as far off as they previously thought. If they were thinking at all.
New York Times
13-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
With no lottery luck, the Bulls have a plan, right? … Right?
At the end of another miserable season in 2019, John Paxson, the man who lucked into Derrick Rose 11 years prior, said of the team's lottery-bound future, 'Luck and hope are not a strategy or a plan. We have to plan.' The Bulls didn't have any luck that spring in the NBA lottery and their plan to get immediately better involved an unhealthy dose of Jim Boylen. Six years and some change later, the franchise is only a little better off. Advertisement Now coached by the Hall of Fame-bound Billy Donovan, the Bulls are still a losing franchise, but in a more respectable way. They still don't have any luck or hope. And they don't have much of a plan either. Many years ago, when the Bulls were relevant and the future was bright, a couple of reporters asked Scott Skiles, the former coach of the Bulls, about the current state of the team with Derrick Rose and Tom Thibodeau. 'We're all pretty foolish if we don't realize the effects of luck in life,' he said that night. 'It's pretty lucky the Bulls got Derrick Rose. When you look at the percentages, that's very lucky.' The Bulls had a 1.7 percent chance to win the lottery (and select Rose) in 2008, months after Skiles was fired. Three years later, the hometown kid would become the youngest MVP in league history before a series of knee injuries decimated him and the franchise. Throwback to the 2008 NBA Draft Lottery… Can lightning strike twice? 🙏 — Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) May 12, 2025 Chicago had a 1.7 percent chance to win Monday night's 2025 lottery and the rights to Duke big man Cooper Flagg, the kind of prospect who can seemingly put a franchise on his back. He's exactly what the Bulls needed to get back to relevancy. But luck wasn't on the Bulls' side. As it turned out, a random drawing last month to break a tie between two 39-43 teams decided where Flagg would go. The Dallas Mavericks' 1.8 percent chance to win the lottery came true in dramatic fashion in Chicago. The Bulls stayed in their predicted No. 12 slot. The Bulls earned their sub-.500 record the old-fashioned way, by being painfully subpar for much of the season before turning it on at the end when half the league had given up. Meanwhile, Dallas GM Nico Harrison got rewarded for his historically awful trade of Luka Dončić. Advertisement Were you even paying attention on April 21 when the league did its tiebreakers through random drawings? There were five tiebreakers decided that day. The one you care about involves the Bulls and Mavericks, who had identical records. The drawing was held less than a week after the Bulls bowed out of the Play-In Tournament after losing to the Miami Heat for the third consecutive year. The Mavs' season from hell also ended in the 9-10 game. Did Harrison deserve his good fortune? Of course not. But that's the point of luck. You can position yourself to be 'lucky,' but the result is just chance. The Dallas Mavericks have won the right to select Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick. But the surprising NBA Draft order impacts the other lottery teams immensely.@Sam_Vecenie's post-lottery mock draft ⤵️ — The Athletic (@TheAthletic) May 13, 2025 It wasn't a coin flip — instead a 'random drawing' — but it would have been poetic if it were. Actual coin flips were how the Bulls lost the right to draft Magic Johnson in 1979 and how the Bears forfeited the chance to draft Terry Bradshaw in 1970. The latter produced one of my favorite quotes about the Bears. Ed McCaskey, George Halas' son-in-law, represented the Bears at the coin toss and called heads. Commissioner Pete Rozelle's silver dollar landed on tails and Art Rooney's Steelers got Bradshaw, who led them to four Super Bowl victories. 'I had dinner with Art Rooney after the coin toss,' McCaskey said to Chicago Tribune sportswriter Fred Mitchell in 1997, 'and he said to me: 'You're supposed to be a sharp guy. You never call (the coin toss). That's a sucker play.'' Apparently, McCaskey didn't share this bit of Rooney wisdom (the old man was a famous horse bettor) with Bulls GM Rod Thorn at the end of the decade when the Bulls and Lakers were vying for Johnson, the electric Michigan State sophomore. Advertisement 'Bill Sharman and I were on the call with the league,' Thorn said to Hall of Fame writer Sam Smith years ago. 'He was representing the Lakers at the time. The people in New York were asking us who wanted to call it. I immediately said we had this fan vote and, 'Bill, if it's OK with you, let me call it.' Bill said fine. So I called it heads. It came out tails.' The Lakers got Johnson, the Bulls got, uh, David Greenwood. Of course, it all turned out OK for Chicago. Five years later, they got Michael Jordan. Meanwhile, the Bears hope Caleb Williams, drafted 54 years after Bradshaw, can be their elusive franchise quarterback. Paxson might've been right about luck not being a plan, but his team (he still works for the franchise) doesn't seem to have one of those either. Critics say the middle is the worst place to be in the NBA, but the Bulls are slightly below the so-called 'mushy middle.' In the 10 seasons since firing Tom Thibodeau, the Bulls are 349-444 with two playoff appearances and three playoff victories. Over the last three seasons, they haven't even been at .500 after the first week of November. Their average finish in the last decade is 10th place in the East. This is a team that needed luck in the worst way. The front office has proved it doesn't have what it takes, but so, too, has ownership. Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas' greatest value seems to be making everyone wistful for Paxson, whose run atop the franchise now looks like the good ol' days. Many thought the Bulls should tank this season, but it's true the reconfigured NBA lottery odds has weakened that strategy. Record-wise, only one of the bottom four teams is drafting in the top four this summer. However, they're all sitting better than the Bulls at No. 12. The Bulls have an exciting young player in Matas Buzelis, last year's lottery pick, along with Josh Giddey (who is going to get overpaid this summer) and the closest thing the team has to a star in Coby White. But they don't have much else. Advertisement At the trade deadline, Karnišovas earned more mockery with his sketch of a plan that involved the Bulls winning with 'nine or 10 really good players' instead of scheming to land a superstar to save them. It was a nice thought, just completely out of whack with reality. The NBA has always been a superstar-driven league, and Flagg sure seems like he could be one of those. The Bulls couldn't tank to get Flagg and they weren't lucky enough to land him. But they were close enough to make it sting. What's next for the Bulls? Another 30-something-win season, I imagine, and we'll be right back here next year, praying for good fortune. Anyone have a rabbit's foot? (Photo of Billy Donovan and Matas Buzelis: Melissa Tamez / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Reuters
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Florida's Todd Golden gets lucrative contract extension
May 6 - Florida is rewarding national championship-winning coach Todd Golden with a contract extension that will pay him $40.5 million through the 2030-31 season. Golden, 39, became the youngest coach to win a title since 37-year-old Jim Valvano when the Gators beat Houston 65-63 in the championship game of the NCAA Tournament on April 7. In three seasons in Florida, he has a 76-33 record, including 36-4 in 2024-25. "Todd has done an incredible job getting Florida men's basketball back where it belongs," athletic director Scott Stricklin said. "We believed in his vision, his competitive nature and his modern approach to the game back in 2022, and he has validated that belief in a relatively short time and helped create memories of a lifetime for another generation of Gator fans." The Gators won the program's third national title in their sixth trip top the Final Four. The other two championships came under Billy Donovan in 2006 and 2007. "The University of Florida is an institution that has the resources, support, and people in place to compete and win national championships," Golden said. "I am so appreciative of each and every player and staff member who have been critical to the success we've experienced here."
New York Times
17-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Play-In Tournament woes continue to haunt Bulls: ‘We've got to be better'
CHICAGO — Wednesday was exactly why Chicago Bulls fans dreaded another pursuit of the Play-In Tournament. The odds were always too long, and the uphill climb to postseason success was much too steep. The Bulls were defiant all season, determined to respect the integrity of the game rather than dismantle their roster in hopes of increasing their NBA Draft Lottery odds. But the result was a third straight year of failing to make it out of the Play-In round. Advertisement And for the third straight year, the Bulls' season ended at the hands of the Miami Heat, this time a 109-90 home embarrassment in which the Bulls trailed by as many as 25 and were booed off the United Center floor at halftime and at the end of the game. 'The disappointing part was that we didn't play to our identity,' Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. The Bulls finished with a 39-43 record after winning 15 of their final 20 regular-season games. Despite establishing themselves as a fast-paced team capable of applying offensive pressure on anyone, their point total Wednesday was the lowest of the season. Chicago's starting backcourt of Coby White and Josh Giddey took turns dazzling crowds during the second half of the season, and they combined to score 42 points on 14-of-41 shooting on Wednesday. But they were responsible for 10 of the Bulls' 18 turnovers, which led to 26 Heat points. Giddey's defensive struggles emerged at the worst time, immediately allowing a relentless attack by the Heat to find an early rhythm. In the opening four and a half minutes, Giddey gave up three drives, including consecutive back cuts to Heat swingman Andrew Wiggins for buckets at the rim. On the Heat's second possession, Giddey got switched onto Miami star guard Tyler Herro, who beat Giddey on a blow-by. Miami made five of its first six shots, and all five makes came from inside the paint. 'We could not control the ball at all,' Donovan said. 'I don't think it was necessarily Coby or Josh. It was everybody. We had a really hard time maintaining the ball in the coverage and in the pick-and-rolls.' Maybe things would have ended differently if the Bulls finished the season healthy. Maybe they would have advanced to face the Atlanta Hawks for a chance at the Eastern Conference's No. 8 seed. But Chicago lost critical players Lonzo Ball, Ayo Dosunmu and Tre Jones to season-ending injuries. All three would have provided the Bulls with more resistance Wednesday. Instead, the Bulls had no answers for Herro, who scored a game-high 38 points on 13-of-19 shooting. Tell us how you really feel, @raf_tyler 🙌 — Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) April 17, 2025 'We beat these guys three times this year,' Giddey said. 'We probably had that at the front of our minds. We're just, like, 'We beat them already. We know what to do.' And we just didn't. 'They punched us first. We didn't respond the way we had to. … We obviously knew what was at stake, a win-or-go-home game. We just didn't come out with the right mentality — and that's what happens. You lose, and your season's over, just like that. It's a sour way to end it. We thought we were much better than the way we played.' Advertisement White, who was the team's leading scorer this season, sat at his locker with bloodshot-red eyes after the game. He slouched in his chair as he fielded questions, rubbing his hand against his face several times in frustration. White, Nikola Vučević, Patrick Williams and Dalen Terry are the only active Bulls players who have experienced all three Play-In losses to the Heat. 'We've got to be better. We've got to learn from it,' White said. 'We've got to go into the summer knowing that we can't keep putting ourselves in this position.' The Bulls now project to have a late-lottery selection in the June draft. Bulls management recouped their own first-round pick this year from the San Antonio Spurs in the three-team trade that sent Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings and De'Aaron Fox to the Spurs. The pick originally was traded to the Spurs as part of the DeMar DeRozan acquisition. The biggest difference for the Bulls as they head into the offseason is the young nucleus they have assembled. Giddey, who arrived from Oklahoma City in last summer's Alex Caruso trade, proved throughout the season that he can be an all-around performer. He averaged 20.2 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.1 assists over his final 25 contests, showing growth at both ends after taking on more responsibility following LaVine's trade. The Bulls have made clear their intention to re-sign the 22-year-old point guard this summer. 'It's a new situation,' Giddey said. 'I never wanted to come in and step on any toes, so I tried my best to fit in how I could. I think when the deadline happened, my role opened up a little bit more, so I was able to play freely. It wasn't just me; it was us as a group. We started getting it rolling after the All-Star break, we found ways to win games, and we stuck with that formula. I thought us as a whole did a great job in the back half of the year.' Advertisement Chicago also can move forward with confidence in White, Dosunmu, Ball and promising rookie Matas Buzelis. Vučević, Williams, Zach Collins and Jalen Smith are rotational players who could return or be included in potential trades. 'In terms of the way we finished the year, I'm proud of this group,' Giddey said. 'I think there's a lot of good things to build on going forward.' (Top photo of Josh Giddey and Bam Adebayo: David Banks / Imagn Images)
New York Times
15-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Welcome to The Athletic Peak, where we learn from the best leaders in sports
Billy Donovan doesn't know me from anybody. The Chicago Bulls coach, who won two national championships with Florida, was once a sharp-shooting guard for Providence. A couple years ago, I reached out to see if he had a few minutes to talk about what life was like there during a time in which the Providence athletic department was run by someone (Lou Lamoriello) who would go on to win three Stanley Cups and was stacked with future coaching talent like Rick Pitino, Jeff Van Gundy and Stu Jackson. Advertisement Mostly, though, I wanted to talk about leadership. About team building. About what it takes to succeed. And one thing I've found in covering athletes, coaches and executives is this: If you're genuinely curious and want to learn, they're usually generous with their time. I cold-texted Donovan at 5:07 p.m.. Less than 45 minutes later, he responded: 'Would be happy to connect!' Donovan shared his thoughts on the work that goes into success. The planning. The details. And sometimes, as was the case at Providence in the 1980s, the hours of pure grinding. 'It all started from a premise of work,' he explained. 'What wins in hockey, wins in basketball. It's the same that it was 60 years ago. The things that go into winning just don't change.' Then he added my favorite part. 'People want to think there's this illusion of choice. 'I want to be successful, but I don't want to put the work into what it takes.' Winning is not a buffet line.' I loved that. Winning is not a buffet line. Since the launch of The Athletic, we've tried to cover sports in a unique way. Often that meant going a little deeper or behind-the-scenes to connect the people we cover with the subscribers who read our work. The stories I always gravitated towards were the ones where I could apply some of the wisdom that access provided to my own life. The kind of wisdom Donovan shared. The world of sports is perfect for that. It's a place where some of the most relatable issues in life are played out in real time, at the highest stakes. Themes like career changes, culture building, organizational leadership, personal growth, success under pressure, health and wellness — pursuits we're all chasing — are observed, debated and revealed on a public stage. On Sunday, we saw it with Rory McIlroy at the Masters. He fought through massive expectations, a missed putt on the final hole and the pressure that comes with the world deciding it's your time to succeed. Who better than him to share insight on how the best handle stress? Advertisement 'It's such a battle in your head of trying to stay in the present moment and hit this next shot good,' McIlroy told the media afterwards. 'My battle today was with myself. It wasn't with anyone else. You know, at the end there, it was with Justin, but my battle today was with my mind and staying in the present.' Every big sports moment comes with its own examples. For the last several months, a team led by Jayson Jenks, Elise Devlin and Rustin Dodd, has been producing stories that touch on those themes. These were a few of my favorites: Now, we're doing it for real. Today, we're excited to share the launch of Peak, The Athletic's home for coverage that examines the leadership, ideas and personal growth strategies from the most successful people in sports. Yes, we believe these stories are interesting, entertaining and engaging but the real power comes when they connect with you personally, when they impact your life. Maybe it's a new way to think about an old problem. Maybe it's the inspiration you needed to start a new project. Maybe it's giving you the confidence to keep doing what you're doing. To kick the launch off, Rustin dove deep into what makes Lions coach Dan Campbell such a motivating speaker. Later this week, we will share leadership stories from the people who know Sidney Crosby best. There will also be a must-read conversation with basketball coach Tara VanDerveer, the first in a weekly interview series with some of the top leaders in sports. Follow along here so you don't miss any of it. Soon, Elise will start writing a newsletter on LinkedIn that will distill all these stories down into actionable next steps. In a few months, we'll launch a digital series led by a former NFL player who has impressed us with his insatiable curiosity and desire to share what he's learned. After that, a video series. The goal is to connect a community of people passionate about leadership and development large enough to put on an annual event. If we pull it off, maybe we can convince Billy Donovan to speak at it. I bet he would. (Illustration: Eamonn Dalton / The Athletic)
