BY ALEJANDRO LOPEZ
All eyes are on New York in what seems to be a wide open Eastern Conference for the 2025-26 season. But while the Knicks prepare for their season to tip off on Wednesday against the Cleveland Cavaliers, former head coach Tom Thibodeau was seen working with a divisional rival.
Thibodeau was spotted at a Boston Celtics practice on Monday, a franchise that Thibodeau has experience with as he was a member of the championship winning coaching staff in 2008 as an assistant.
“He won a championship here- just having him around makes me better, makes our organization better,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “It’s a lot of respect for him.”
Thibodeau, who coached the New York team that eliminated Boston from the playoffs last season, reportedly offered the Celtics insight as to what the Knicks took advantage of during their series.
“Obviously, they eliminated us last year, so him being able to give us some of the thoughts that he saw in that series and some of the stuff that they broke down in our personnel, or even our team, helps us grow and learn from that,” Celtics star Jaylen Brown said.
Since being dismissed by the Knicks shortly after their elimination at the hands of the Indiana Pacers, Thibodeau has yet to join any other staff or organization. Instead, the former Coach of the Year award winner has been making rounds all over the country.
He has been seen at practices in Alabama, Minnesota and Oklahoma City as well as the St. Bonaventures NBA/G League Pro Day early October.
As of right now, it seems like Thibodeau will sit out this NBA season as he is still due roughly $11-million for the next three seasons. Although he may be on the Knicks payroll during that time, he has not shied away from offering other franchises his services.
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