Karl-Anthony Towns Praises Knicks’ Tom Thibodeau, Calls Him ‘One Hell of a Coach’

New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns had some high praise for his old coach who’s now his new coach.

“You know what I respected so, so much about [Tom Thibodeau] is that he wanted to win,” Towns told Shannon Sharpe on the Club Shay Shay podcast. “And he put the hours in and he put the work in. Playing for Thibs was just watching someone who truly loves what they do and puts all their passion and their life mission is being the best coach they can be.”

Towns added that his admiration for Thibodeau has grown as he has gotten older and that the Knicks sideline leader is “one hell of a coach.”

New York reunited KAT with Thibs in the biggest blockbuster trade of the offseason. Towns’ comments to Sharpe point to why the front office felt the partnership can work better than it did in Minneapolis.

Thibodeau’s tenure unraveled in dramatic fashion midway though the 2018-19 thanks to the Jimmy Butler saga. Wider fissures opened up with the players who stuck around, including Towns, after Butler was traded, and that necessitated Thibs’ ouster after 40 games.

Towns previously said in October 2023 he and Thibodeau recently talked and they “squashed” any lingering ill will toward one another.

“I still look at Thibs as one of the best X’s and O’s coaches I’ve been able to play for,” the four-time All-Star told reporters. “He breathes winning and I got nothing but respect for him.”

In more ways than one, Towns will have to buy in with the Knicks. Thibodeau has a clearly defined identity as a coach—one that demands a lot of his players. Jalen Brunson both symbolizes that style and is the star around whom New York is building its future.

Even after the Minnesota Timberwolves acquired Rudy Gobert and watched Anthony Edwards emerged as an All-NBA talent, they still felt like KAT’s team thanks to his seniority and past performance. Now, he’ll have to adjust to a slightly lesser role in the Big Apple.

And he better get used to the idea of playing 35 minutes a night.