Brunson, in particular, has known Thibodeau nearly his entire life. He was a young kid when his father, Rick, played for the Knicks for two seasons from 1998-2000. Thibodeau was a Knicks assistant at the time. And Rick Brunson later served as an assistant on Thibodeau’s staff with the Bulls and Timberwolves before reuniting again on the Knicks.

Player input during their end of season meetings with owner James Dolan in attendance played a factor in the Knicks' decision to move on from Tom Thibodeau.

The New York Knicks' decision to fire head coach Tom Thibodeau after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals was a head-turning one, but it reportedly happened, in part, because of feedback players gave to team governor James Dolan.