DETROIT — In his first media interview about the Knicks in almost three years, James Dolan explained he fired Tom Thibodeau because, among other reasons, the coach was averse to collaboration. The owner also shot down a potential trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo and declared this season as Finals or failure.
“We want to get to the Finals. And we should win the Finals,” Dolan said Monday in an interview with WFAN’s Craig Carton. “This is sports and anything can happen. But getting to the Finals, we absolutely got to do.”
If that lofty goal is realized, it’ll be without the coach who Dolan acknowledged established the foundation — Thibodeau — and who was also surprisingly dismissed in the summer with three years and over $30 million remaining on his contract.
“The team is really built on the shoulders of Tom Thibodeau. He built that core,” Dolan said. “We went as far as we did last year. So you really got to take your hat off to Tom. And the job that he did. But we did come to the conclusion that we had an idea how we wanted to organize the team. And that meant we needed to evolve. Actually beyond the old traditional coaching formulas.
“And we tried to work that with Tom. It really wasn’t his thing.”
Dolan suggested Thibodeau wasn’t prioritizing player development, despite young players — Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes — thriving in a previous Knicks incarnation.
“It’s not like the old days, the old Yankees where you get Reggie Jackson and this guy and this guy. And put together a team. It’s almost impossible to do that in the NBA,” Dolan said. “You have to home-grow your talent, and that also builds up trade currency, and that’s a team of people. There’s literally 20 people who are specifically dedicated to developing the players to getting the strategy on the court.
“And that’s important for the development of a franchise,” Dolan said.
The owner said he spoke frequently with Thibodeau about his desires for change, but that it fell on deaf ears.
“And Tom liked development, but he didn’t really—” Dolan said before Carton cut him off from continuing.
Dolan’s other message was pushing roster continuity with high expectations for the current structure. The 70-year-old rejected an ESPN report that the Knicks and Bucks engaged in summer trade talks involving Antetokounmpo.
“Not that I’m aware of,” Dolan said.
A league source said the sides held discussions but there was no traction and the Knicks left skeptical that the Bucks were serious about dealing their franchise megastar.
“We love our team right now. They have chemistry, they all like each other. I’ve never seen a locker room more copacetic,” Dolan said. “There’s a lot of energy there. Leon can always overrule me. But I don’t see us making a big change. Because we got to keep building up this group. This group can win a championship. I believe that.”
Dolan added he doesn’t foresee any big trades before the deadline.
Mike Brown, a veteran who signed a four-year deal worth a reported $40 million, became Thibodeau’s replacement after New York’s attempts to interview head coaches under contract were rejected by multiple NBA teams.
Brown’s start has been mostly impressive but Dolan’s interview Monday occurred at a low point, with the Knicks riding a three-game losing streak and especially struggling defensively. Through 35 games, Thibodeau’s Knicks last season were one game better (24-11) than Brown’s squad (23-12).
But Dolan clearly believes the Knicks can recover all the way to the Larry O’Brien trophy — finishing what Thibodeau started.
“We are going to raise the banner,” Dolan said when asked about his decision to not hang a banner in MSG for the recent NBA Cup title. “We’re going to raise the NBA championship banner. That’s what we’re going to raise.”
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