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TOM THIBODEAU OF KNICKS NAMED NBA COACH OF THE YEAR

by | Jun 8, 2021 | Sports | 0 comments

New York Knicks’ head coach Tom Thibodeau – Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Head coach of New York Knicks, Tom Thibodeau was revealed as the NBA’s Coach of the Year for 2020-21 on Monday, as determined by a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters who cover the league. 

In the eyes of the voters, his coaching job was the best in the NBA. Thibodeau guided the team to its second-best record in 20 years. The Knicks went 41-31 this season, then fell to Atlanta in five games in the first round of the playoffs. 

The Knicks were 41-31 this season, and that winning percentage of .569 is the eighth-lowest for any coach of the year winner since the award was first given out in 1963. However, the job Thibodeau did in his first New York season was outstanding and he guided the Knicks to their first playoff berth since 2013 and their second-best record in the last 20 years.

It was the closest balloting since this version of voting was introduced 19 years ago. Thibodeau got 43 first-place votes and finished with 351 total points, while Phoenix’s Monty Williams actually got more first-place votes, he got 45 but finished with 340 points.

It was Thibodeau’s second time winning the award; he also got it in 2011 during his first season with the Chicago Bulls, and another first-year turnaround in New York merited him the trophy for a second time. The coach said he was honoured to join Red Holzman and Pat Riley, the other Knicks coaches who have won the award. 

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