Many coaches have come and gone in the league but it's only the selected few that have a long run in the NBA. The competition is cut-throat and not anyone can take charge of a franchise. The role comes with various responsibilities such as taking care of each and every person on the payroll, making tactics on the go and critical thinking under pressure. Lets get more in depth with one such coach who has been present in the league since 1989.
Thomas Joseph Thibodeau Jr, widely known as Tom Thibodeau is the head coach for the New York Knicks. He is a defence driven coach and focuses mainly on game planning paying critical attention to detail. Thibodeau is ranked amongst the best coaches in the league, he has plenty of experience in leading a team.
Originally coming from New Britain, Connecticut, he played basketball at Salem State College. During his time as a player, Thibodeau led his team to win many league titles. He started his coaching career after graduation. Thibodeaus's first contract was as the head coach for his college team before he became an assistant coach at Harvard.
After coaching the Harvard team for four years, Thibodeau reached an agreement for the assistant coach position for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Tom Thibodeau Teams Coached
In the NBA, one starts their coaching career serving as an assistant coach to experienced teams. They gather experience from the head coaches and learn their ways of leading a team to victory. After ample years working under someone, if the person has shown his talent and tenacity, then they are considered for the head coach position. Tom Thibodeau worked in a similar fashion and was one of the well spoken of newcomers.
Thomas Jr was changing teams regularly trying to learn and gain experience from the best.
During his time as an assistant coach, Thibodeau was an appreciated apprentice to many great coaches. His promising start earned him the position of associate head coach of the Boston Celtics. Known for his defensive prowess, the Celtics soon became one of the best defensive teams during Tom's tenure.
Thomas has also coached the Chicago Bulls for five years, helping the team with their overall defencive output. Due to problems between the front office and Tom, the Chicago Bulls fired Thibodeau shortly after the 2015 Conference semifinals.
With more experience and knowledge, Tom made his return to the Minnesota Timberwolves as head coach and president of basketball operations. In his stint, Tom led the Timberwolves to their first Playoffs appearance since 2004.
Finally, Tom Thibodeau was hired as the head coach for the New York Knicks in 2020. He has ever since been working with the team and earned his second Coach of the Year title with the Knicks.
FAQs
A. Tom has turned 65 as of this year.
A. Tom's best season is definitely 2008 where he was serving as an assistant coach. This was the year the Celtics won the NBA championship.
A. Thomas Thibodeau attended college in Salem State University located in Salem, Massachusetts.
A. He is widely known for his defencive tactics.
