After Firing Tom Thibodeau In Single Practice, Ex Warriors Star Has Change of Heart

“Our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans. This pursuit led us to the difficult decision to inform Tom Thibodeau that we’ve decided to move in another direction.”

With that statement, the New York Knicks officially turned the page on a coach who gave the franchise a much-needed jolt of relevance and rejuvenation. For a team that had missed the playoffs seven years in a row, Thibodeau’s arrival felt like fresh air in a room long shut. In five seasons, he took the Knicks to the postseason four times. Not bad for a guy often labelled too old-school for today’s game. So it’s no surprise that the team’s decision to part ways with him is sparking reactions all over the league. But one of the most unexpected takes comes from a former Golden State Warriors star—someone who once pushed to get Thibs fired after just a single practice.

Yes, you read that right. Tom Thibodeau barely lasted a day as a coach for the Washington Wizards back in the day, thanks to Gilbert Arenas. But fast-forward to now, and even Arenas is pausing to reconsider his stance after seeing Thibodeau’s impact in New York.

Let’s be real: Thibodeau doesn’t sugarcoat things. He’s not the player’s coach everyone raves about these days. He’s demanding, intense, and his playbook doesn’t end when practice does. That approach has its rewards, sure, but it also comes with burnout on both sides. Arenas, known as Agent Zero during his playing days, was the perfect example of that burnout. And according to a clip posted on Gil’s Arena’s official Instagram, he still remembers that day vividly.

“I understand the firing. I’m 50. 50, man,” he started to say when Brandon Jennings jumped in to remind him of that infamous moment. “I can’t believe you said you 50-50 after you fired Thibs after one practice… He came to Wizards, and he was our coach for one day, put all of us through the practice, and he [Arenas] said, ‘man, get this m———– out of here. I can’t do this. I’m not dealing with this,” Jennings said. Even more surprising? Arenas wasn’t even practicing that day. However, he claimed, “That was the old me,” suggesting he has had a change of heart.

Furthermore, looking back, Arenas explained why he reacted the way he did at the time. “It didn’t look good to me. Like, you know how you just sitting there watching the practice? It’s like. All right, okay, start off. They warmed [up]… 5-on-5, 5-on-O, then back to 5-o-5, then back to 5-on-O. You went right back to work, then talking for 30 minutes. Now you want to go… These [players] about to get hurt… He’s out, man. Get him on out of here…” Well, Tom has had a reputation for running plays based on his key players without much consideration for their physical limitations. Many even blame him for Derrick Rose’s injuries during his time with the Bulls. So Arenas did have a point, in his opinion.

But now that Thibs broke the 7-season long dry spell for the Knicks, Arenas might have had a change of opinion. However, his failure to have any major postseason success seems to have left him with a “50-50” stance on the 67-year-old coach’s firing. It’s very possible that the Knicks had a similar chain of thought while reaching their decision. And it had to be with some vision that the Knicks went ahead with this decision, as they haven’t come out of it without incurring a loss.

How the Knicks could lose millions by firing Tom Thibodeau

The New York Knicks have made a bold move—parting ways with head coach Tom Thibodeau. But while that decision shakes up the franchise’s future, it also hits hard financially. As Ian Begley of SNY reported, Thibodeau is owed at least $30 million in guaranteed money from the three-year extension he inked just last summer. That’s a heavy price tag for letting go of a coach who had just helped turn in one of the Knicks’ strongest seasons in years.

And if you were wondering whether the Knicks might keep Thibodeau around in a front office role, Begley made that clear too: Thibodeau will not remain with the Knicks in any front office role. What’s interesting is how this decision came together. According to reports, the end-of-season review was handled differently this time. Top players were brought into the fold for meetings that included team owner James Dolan. That’s not something you hear about every year. Ultimately, Knicks president Leon Rose made the call, and Dolan backed it.

Thibodeau led New York to a 51–31 finish, landing the No. 3 seed in the East. The Knicks fought through the Pistons and even stunned the Celtics before losing to the Pacers in the conference finals. Despite that deep run, the franchise still decided to move on, at a staggering cost. But the decision does not come without doubts from the NBA community, as even Agent Zero, who could not stand a single practice session with Thibs, now has “50-50” faith in Knicks’ decision.

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