NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith did not shy away from blasting the New York Knicks president, Leon Rose, for announcing the firing of their competent head coach, Tom Thibodeau.
The announcement was made via a social media statement shared by the franchise after the Knicks faced a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. After reaching this feat after strenuous hard work, Thibodeau’s firing came as a shock to the entire NBA world.
Stephen A. Smith Calls Leon Rose a “Coward”
Die-hard Knicks fan, Smith did not mince his words while addressing the situation. Smith feels that Rose should have delivered this news on camera, rather than the way he did via a social media post.
After helping the Knicks reach this level, Thibodeau’s exit was unceremonious. On ESPN, Smith said, “To be quite honest with you, I think we all, as New Yorkers, should find Leon Rose’s statement offensive. Get the hell in front of a microphone and a camera and answer questions. Stop being a coward. Because that’s how he’s acting”.
He continued, “I’m not calling him that as a man or as a person. I’m saying that’s how he’s been acting as president of the New York Knicks when it comes to communicating with the media and articulating the decisions that you make and why they are being made”.
“Get the hell in front of a microphone and a camera and answer questions. Stop being a coward because that’s how he’s acting.”
Stephen A. Smith RIPPED on Knicks president Leon Rose following the firing of Tom Thibodeau 😳
(via @ESPNNBA)pic.twitter.com/LenFWIdOms
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 3, 2025
Thibodeau led New York to the playoffs in four of his five seasons coaching the team. He was coming off a back-to-back 50-win season. And surprisingly, he brought the franchise back to prominence in the league. The team wasn’t in the playoff race in the seven years before Tom came to Manhattan.
The Knicks defeated the defending champs, the Boston Celtics, in the second round of the playoffs. Nobody outside of New York believed they could do it. All thanks to Thibodeau and his defensive, pick-and-roll strategies, switch-heavy schemes, rotations, and tactics that they tackled the Celtics’ down.
So, while Smith’s words might be harsh, his issue speaks directly about the problem. Rose isn’t known for speaking to the media about the moves he makes with the franchise. It definitely raises some eyebrows.
New York will now be searching for a new head coach, praying that they will continue leading the Knicks on the glorious path they were on under Thibodeau.
Leon Rose Wants a Championship for the Knicks
Leon Rose assumed his role as president of the Knicks franchise in 2020 and hasn’t conducted any solo press conference with the media since then. He’s rather infamous for hiding behind social media, which reflects on the team as well. The team is among the very few not to hold media availabilities towards the end of the season.
In his shocking written statement shared on the official handles of the New York Knicks, he said the Knicks are “singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans.”
This is what his entire statement read:
“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 a different direction.” Through the statement, the franchise did praise Thibodeau for his achievements, too.
“We can’t thank Tom enough for pouring his heart and soul into each and every day of being the New York Knicks head coach. He led us not only with class and professionalism for the past five seasons, but also to tremendous success on the court with four playoff berths and four playoff series victories.
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“Ultimately, we made the decision we feel is best for our organization moving forward. Tom will always be part of our Knicks family, and we truly wish him nothing but the best in the future.”
The speed at which this shift happened only leads to one thought – Rose probably has a plan of action and a preferred candidate in mind, someone who can suit the capabilities of the roster, and make the best of the rotations.
