A lot of the New York Knicks’ success this year can be attributed to Tom Thibodeau’s coaching, which made Wednesday’s tilt with the San Antonio Spurs all the more interesting. A coaching chess match, if you will.
Except Thibodeau’s opponent wasn’t Bobby Fischer. Nor was it Garry Kasparov, Boris Spassky, or even wunderkind Beth Harmon.
No, Thibodeau’s opponent Wednesday was Gregg Popovich, the man who made the Spurs a household name. The man has amassed five championship rings and over 1,200 wins in San Antonio. Checkmating him would prove a tall order.
And the Knicks would be shorthanded at the point in battling the Spurs.