MIAMI — Before the Knicks took the court in Miami on Wednesday night, Tom Thibodeau spent a long time behind closed doors with Jeff Van Gundy, a traditional interview session for national broadcasts. But more than that, it was Thibodeau speaking with no cameras to his long-time friend, the man who hired him into the Knicks organization decades ago.
And while there were no cameras recording that conversation, you can be sure that when Van Gundy went on the air and spit out disgusted takes on the play of the Knicks in the 110-96 loss to the Heat, a game in which the Knicks trailed by 30 points, you can be sure that he was sending a message that Thibodeau has avoided saying publicly himself.