Aspiring New York City mayoral candidates mostly agreed that the New York Knicks were wrong for firing head coach Tom Thibodeau. Bronx Assemblyman Michael Blake thought otherwise.
Eight candidates vying for the highest seat at City Hall participated in the Democratic Mayor Debate on Wednesday. During a rapid-fire “thumbs up, thumbs down” section of the debate, Thibodeau’s dismissal was mentioned.
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Joining Blake in the debate were former Governor Andrew Cuomo, State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, former City Comptroller Scott Stringer, Brooklyn State Senator Zellnor Myrie, Queens State Senator Jessica Ramos and former hedge fund manager Whitney Tillson.
While his opposition voted down the firing, Blake gave a thumbs-up and said, “Our goal is to win the Finals, not to get to the Conference Finals.”
Despite leading the Knicks to their first Conference Finals appearance in 25 years, Thibodeau was relieved of his duties. His dismissal came two days after they lost to the Indiana Pacers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on May 30.
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The Knicks had a strong season, finishing third in the East with a 51-31 record. The team took down the Detroit Pistons and dethroned the Boston Celtics, both in six games, before running into Indiana. The Pacers derailed what would have been the Knicks’ first NBA Finals appearance since 1999 — a chance to compete for their first title since 1973.
As the mayoral race continues, so does the Knicks’ coaching search. Michael Malone, Mike Brown, Darvin Hamm and Jeff Van Gundy have all mentioned as possible replacements.
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