The hire of Tom Thibodeau by the New York Knicks as head coach has won much praise, but a strong endorsement that counts comes from someone who knows both the team and the coach well.
Jeff Van Gundy claimed that the Knicks have hired an “elite” in Thibodeau and that he has everything it takes to turn the franchise back into a winner.
“I am extremely happy for Tom and equally happy for the Knicks who have hired an elite coach who will give everything he has to change the Knicks,” Van Gundy told Marc Berman of the New York Post via email.
Thibodeau knows the Knicks and knows Van Gundy. He worked as an assistant to Van Gundy in New York and later in Houston. Thibodeau knows what it’s like to work in New York and has a success story as an NBA head coach, so Van Gundy’s intuition may prove correct.
As for Van Gundy, there seems to be at least some chance he can train against Thibodeau next season at some point.