New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau really appreciates what he does. The veteran is now in the Big Apple trying to lead an exciting squad to compete in the NBA playoff.
After a successful stint with the Chicago Bulls and a tumultuous time with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Thibs returned to the bench last season to join a project that didn’t have many believers when he first landed in New York.
Now the Knicks are one of the entertainers of the Eastern Conference, trying to make some noise along with the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks. Tom has taken the job very seriously, changing the team’s face in only a season, making them relevant again.
The 63-year-old always knew this was his passion and never allowed anything to get in his way. Back in 1984-85, during the lone season he spent as head coach at Salem State (was an assistant from 1981 through 1984), Thibs made a really curious decision when he decided to call off his engagement to focus on his coaching career.
At the time, he was 25 years old, with a long life to live. That didn’t matter, as he knew his genuine desire and canceled his engagement six weeks before the ceremony.
Via The New York Times:
Thibodeau was engaged once. He was in graduate school, an assistant at his alma mater, Salem State. Her name was Debbie, one of two Debbies that college teammates said he dated simultaneously, D1 and D2 at first for short.
They canceled the wedding about six weeks out, and Thibodeau’s mother made him return what gifts the couple had received. Reasons for the engagement’s end varied, but John Galaris, Thibodeau’s boss and the athletic director at Salem State, said Thibodeau told him, “There’s no room in my life for a woman if I’m going to be a basketball coach.”
Flash forward, we know that Thibs probably made the right decision. Controversial as he is, has one of the best coaches in the league right now (2x Coach of the Year). Some people will say he overuses players, blame him for ruining careers, but Thibs has something that enchants front offices.
The defensive specialist is now trying to build something good with the Knicks, a team with excellent players like Julius Randle, Kemba Walker and Derrick Rose, to name a few.
Time will tell how his stint in New York ends, but he’s doing a solid job at the Madison Square Garden as things stand now. Thibs has a 395-278 record in his career, winning 43 games with the Knickerbockers and losing 33.
