A prominent New York Knicks fan is feeling sentimental in the wake of the team’s decision to fire coach Tom Thibodeau.
Actor Ben Stiller was one of several notable people that shared their thoughts about the firing on social media. He thanked Thibodeau for the coach’s contributions to the organization.
‘I am a Tom Thibodeau fan. He brought this team back. I felt he gave every bit of himself and was always looking to improve. I will always be grateful for how far he brought the Knicks. They are relevant again. They are championship contenders again. The Knicks became winners again with him,’ Stiller wrote. ‘Thank you Coach Thibs.’
The Knicks are known for having a plethora of celebrity guests at Madison Square Garden, and it was turned up a notch during the Eastern Conference finals series against the Indiana Pacers. However, Stiller has consistently been spotted courtside at New York home games throughout his career.
In these playoffs, which saw the Knicks make their way to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000, Stiller was frequently spotted sitting alongside fellow superfan Timothée Chalamet. The two were in attendance for Game 4 of the series in Indianapolis when they became the subject of a rant from former Colts punter and sports media giant Pat McAfee.
The Knicks lost the series in six games to end the season, and Stiller got a playful jab from Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton following Game 6.
Prior to the contest, Stiller commented: ‘Good thing he brought his duffel for the flight to NY’ in response to a video of Haliburton walking into the arena, indicating the series would go to Game 7 in New York.
After Indiana won, Haliburton responded: ‘Nah, was to pack y’all up.’