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Afternoon Edition

June 3, 2025

Despite a deep playoff run, the Knicks make a surprising decision Tuesday—parting ways with coach Tom Thibodeau after their first Eastern Conference finals appearance in 25 years.

— Alex Schiffer [[link removed]], Colin Salao [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]], and David Rumsey [[link removed]]

Knicks Fire Tom Thibodeau in Stunner After Deep Playoff Run [[link removed]]

Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Knicks’ best season in 25 years wasn’t enough to save their coach’s job.

On Tuesday, the Knicks announced they had fired Tom Thibodeau.

The stunning move comes days after the Knicks were eliminated by the Pacers in the franchise’s first appearance in the Eastern Conference finals since 2000.

Thibodeau was the NBA’s fourth-longest tenured coach, having been hired in July 2020, and its oldest at 67 years old.

He led the Knicks to four playoff appearances in five seasons, winning four playoff series. The Knicks’ 51 wins this season were the most since the team won 54 games in the 2012–13 season, when Carmelo Anthony was the franchise player. He was named Coach of the Year in 2021.

Thibodeau was the first coach hired under agent turned team president Leon Rose, who joined the franchise in 2020.

ESPN reported Tuesday [[link removed]] that the firing came from both Rose and owner James Dolan.

Under Rose, the Knicks signed Jalen Brunson and acquired Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, his former teammates at Villanova [[link removed]], before trading for Karl-Anthony Towns [[link removed]'%20longest-tenured,supermax%20extension%20worth%20$220%20million%20in%202022.] during training camp. The team upset the defending champion Celtics in the conference semifinals before falling to Indiana in a series that featured multiple blown leads.

Rose has been widely perceived as being able to operate without meddling from Dolan. In March, Dolan told Hart and Brunson on their podcast that he was not being as impulsive as he had been in the past.

“There were times when I sort of reached for that shiny sparkly object,” Dolan said. “‘Maybe this is what we need,’ especially when things were not going well. Let’s bring in this guy and maybe he’ll turn it all around for us. Sometimes it’s a player, sometimes it’s a coach, etc., and what I’ve learned over time is that doesn’t work. It really doesn’t.”

In July 2024, Thibodeau signed a three-year contract extension that would keep him on the sidelines through the 2027–28 season. The Knicks still owe Thibodeau $30 million off his [[link removed]] recently signed extension, according to SNY.

His firing comes during a season in which multiple playoff teams fired their longtime coaches [[link removed]], including Michael Malone (Nuggets) and Taylor Jenkins (Grizzlies). Either could potentially be a candidate to fill the lead seat in New York.

Thibodeau helped lead the franchise to its best playoff run since the Patrick Ewing era, for which he was an assistant coach. The current Knicks are deep on family ties, as Rick Brunson, Jalen’s father, played for Thibodeau on those teams.

In July 2024, Brunson gave the Knicks a hometown discount on his contract extension by leaving $100 million on the table [[link removed]] to give the franchise cap flexibility in the coming seasons. The franchise currently has the NBA’s fourth-highest 2025–26 payroll ($199.8 million) [[link removed]], while Towns and Bridges will be eligible for lucrative extensions this summer. In light of Jayson Tatum’s torn Achilles, the Knicks are able to return their entire roster next season and have another shot at a wide-open Eastern Conference. But the Knicks’ continuity won’t extend to the sidelines as they’re now looking for their seventh head coach in the last 10 years.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS HONORS

Redefining the Standard

The Most Innovative Venues Award [[link removed]] will recognize venues innovating nonstop to anticipate the evolving demands of modern fans.

They’re the arenas and stadiums tirelessly reinventing their facilities, services, and experiences—from ticketing to turnstile exit—to wow their guests and keep fans coming back time and time again.

Submissions for Most Innovative Venues will be evaluated on technology, fan experiences, environmental and social impact, cultural footprint, and more.

Think your venue deserves to be recognized? Nominate it now [[link removed]].

Nominations are open through June 22.

NBA Playoff Ratings Up 3%, Pacers-Knicks G6 Sets Postseason High [[link removed]]

Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The NBA on TNT went out on a high note.

Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Pacers and Knicks, the last NBA game on TNT, drew 8.12 million viewers Saturday, the most-watched game of the 2025 NBA playoffs so far. The previous high was 7.35 million for Game 4 of the first-round series between the Timberwolves and Lakers on ABC.

The entire six-game series averaged 7 million viewers, up 10% from last year’s series (Celtics vs. Pacers, a four-game sweep). The final TNT episode of Inside the NBA drew 3.5 million viewers, a two-year high for the iconic studio show.

The NBA Finals will air on ABC. The league’s 11-year, $77 billion media-rights deal [[link removed]] with ESPN, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video will start next season.

Will the NBA Finals Deliver?

This year’s NBA playoffs as a whole are averaging 4.5 million viewers, up 3% from last year and the same percentage increase the league had after the second round [[link removed]]. The growth comes despite the five-game Western Conference finals series between the T-Wolves and Thunder averaging 5.59 million viewers, down 17% from last year. The series was filled with blowouts as four of the five games were decided by 15 points or more, and three by more than 25 points.

With two small-market teams, the NBA Finals are expected to draw lower ratings [[link removed]] even compared to the below-average 11.3 million viewers from last year’s Finals [[link removed]]. It doesn’t help that the Thunder are overwhelming favorites to win (-750 on FanDuel).

While MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has yet to deliver huge TV audiences, he is the most-watched player across NBA Social this postseason. Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton is third.

While Bears and White Sox Stall, Chicago Fire Make Stadium Move [[link removed]]

Talia Sprague-Imagn Images

While the NFL’s Bears, MLB’s White Sox, and NWSL’s Stars have struggled for years to finalize deals for new stadiums, Chicago’s MLS team has swooped in and passed its neighbors.

The Fire have unveiled a plan to build a $650 million soccer-specific stadium at The 78, an undeveloped parcel on Chicago’s South Loop, near downtown, that also has been considered by the White Sox. Targeted to open in 2028, the planned 22,000-seat facility ends a long period of instability for the Fire in which it has played over the years at Soldier Field, SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Ill., and Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium in Naperville, Ill., never fully fitting in at any of those disparate venues.

“A world-class city like ours deserves a world-class club—with a world-class home to match,” Fire owner and chairman Joe Mansueto wrote in an open letter to the city of Chicago [[link removed]]. “This project is more than just a stadium. It’s a space for fans of all ages, backgrounds, and neighborhoods to come together and celebrate the beautiful game—right in the heart of our city.”

The soccer stadium is intended to anchor a larger, mixed-use development at the site, in turn resembling in some ways the Wrigleyville area around the Cubs’ Wrigley Field on the city’s north side. Mansueto, estimated to be worth $6.6 billion [[link removed]], is the founder of the financial services firm Morningstar, and he also owns the Mansueto Ventures media company that publishes Fast Company and Inc.

“Joe Mansueto isn’t just building a soccer stadium. He’s reshaping the future of soccer in Chicago,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said in a social media post [[link removed]]. “This is one of the most ambitious stadium projects in MLS history, and a powerful reflection of Joe’s extraordinary commitment. I toured the site recently, and there’s no doubt that this will be a transformative moment for the club and a landmark for Chicago sports.”

A Different Approach

Notably, Mansueto plans to fund the project privately, a fundamental divergence from the proposals from the Bears and White Sox, which each call for billions in public funding and infrastructure support.

The Fire announcement arrives as the Bears have made some limited progress [[link removed]] on a potential domed stadium in suburban Arlington Heights, Ill., while the White Sox effort [[link removed]] to build a ballpark at The 78 has stalled amid the lack of support among state lawmakers to help fund it. A 62-acre parcel owned by developer Related Midwest, The 78 has long been seen as one of Chicago’s best untapped properties.

“If the community is supportive, the Chicago Fire would be an excellent anchor tenant for The 78 site,” said Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson.

The White Sox, meanwhile, said they “remain confident” the site could potentially house both teams, and that the club continues to discuss options with Related Midwest about The 78.

While the Fire is making a significant move off the field, the club’s on-field struggles continue. The Fire have reached the MLS playoffs just once since 2013, and are 11th in the Eastern Conference so far this season.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS TODAY How Texas Tech’s Million-Dollar Transfer Changes NIL Landscape

FOS illustration

Behind the pitching of its $1 million transfer NiJaree Canady, Texas Tech softball ended the powerhouse Oklahoma Sooners’ season Monday night. FOS reporter Amanda Christovich joins Baker Machado and Renee Washington on FOS Today to explain the NIL arms race and how the House v. NCAA settlement could throw a wrench in it.

Plus, Bussin’ With the Boys co-creator and host Will Compton explains his decision to leave Barstool for FanDuel, why it makes sense for some NFL players to retire early, and how his new podcast For the Dads came to life.

Watch the full episode here [[link removed]].

STATUS REPORT Two Up, One Down, One Push

The Indianapolis Star

Indiana Fever ⬆⬇ The WNBA team is on a three-game losing streak as injuries, including Caitlin Clark’s, continue to mount [[link removed]]. Despite Clark’s absence, Friday night’s game against the Connecticut Sun still averaged 851,000 viewers [[link removed]] on Ion, marking the network’s largest WNBA audience this season.

Nick Kyrgios ⬇ The Australian tennis pro announced on his Instagram Story [[link removed]] that he suffered a “small setback” during his injury recovery that will force him to miss the entire 2025 grass season, including Wimbledon, where he was the runner-up in 2022. The 30-year-old has dealt with various injuries over the last two years and has had wrist and knee surgery.

Manchester United ⬆ Bruno Fernandes is expected to remain with the Premier League club [[link removed]] despite interest from Saudi Pro League’s Al-Hilal, according to ESPN. Al-Hilal was reportedly offering the Portuguese midfielder $135 million (£100 million) for his services.

Denver NWSL ⬆ The expansion franchise, set to enter the league in 2026, announced that it has brought on Peyton Manning as a minority owner. The club’s record expansion fee [[link removed]] of $110 million was more than double the previous NWSL record.

Conversation Starters Charles Barkley said Inside the NBA taped a pilot of the show without NBA rights, and he called it the “stupidest shit I’ve ever seen.” Check it out [[link removed]]. Saquon Barkley’s reverse hurdle over a defender appears on the official cover of Madden 26. Take a look [[link removed]]. Reds star Elly De La Cruz chose to play Sunday despite learning about the death of his sister. He hit a home run and pointed to the sky as he rounded the bases. Watch it here [[link removed]]. Editors’ Picks Aces Players Get Second $100K Bonus As WNBA Probe Drags On [[link removed]]by Colin Salao [[link removed]]The sponsorship money is about $35,000 more than the minimum annual WNBA salary. Dentist, Teen, College Stars Steal Spotlight in U.S. Open Qualifying [[link removed]]by David Rumsey [[link removed]]Final qualifying for the major championship took place Monday. Ex-NFL Player Committed Insider Trading, Judge Rules [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]Brewer played safety for five NFL seasons before going into finance. Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Shows [[link removed]] Written by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]], Colin Salao [[link removed]], Eric Fisher [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Or Moyal [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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