New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau gestures during the second half of a preseason game against the Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
When Tom Thibodeau was introduced as the Knicks head coach in July 2020, he explained all the right things about how he’d spent his time away from the sidelines. He had visited with friends in the coaching fraternity, learning tactics of others — and more than any strategic variation, it was how the coaches interacted with players now.
There was little doubt that Thibodeau was a special coach.