Jeff Teague describes Tom Thibodeau coaching style with hilarious impression after stunning Knicks ouster
During the latest installment of his 'Club 520' podcast, Teague mimicked Thibodeau while he discussed playing under him in Minnesota from 2017-19, when Thibodeau was the Timberwolves' head coach and team president.
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'Thibs has got a way of like letting you be you,' Teague said. 'Everbody thinks Thibs is this hard coach to play for, that he's like, 'Ahh, you got to do it this way.'
'He really don't say s–t …. He don't be like, 'Teague go here' or 'Do this.'
'He don't really be coaching you, he just kind of be like, 'Damn!' Dammit man! Damn!' That's all he say … You can shoot any time. You can run anything.'
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3 Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau on the sidelines during the Eastern Conference finals series against the rival Pacers in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
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Teague's cohosts DJ Wells (Darren Wells), and Bishop B. Henn laughed over his impression of Thibodeau.
The Timberwolves fired Thibodeau in January 2019 after he led Minnesota to the franchise's first playoff appearance in 14 years during the 2017-18 season.
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3 Jeff Teague reacted to the Knicks firing their head coach Tom Thibodeau after he led the team to its first Eastern Conference finals in 25 years, where they were ousted by in six games by the rival Indiana Pacers.
YouTube/Club 520
He posted a 97-107 record with the franchise.
Teague — a first-round pick in the 2009 NBA Draft who retired after winning a championship with the Bucks in 2021 — explained that Thibodeau, who's known for his defensive prowess, is stuck in his ways.
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Follow The Post's coverage of the Knicks' stunning firing of head coach Tom Thibodeau
'Thibs that's my dawg, I love him to death, but he doesn't let anybody do anything [on the coaching staff] … those [other] coaches can leave,' Teague said.
'… He definitely needs to let somebody run the offense. There are some young creative minds on that bench. I know a people who can see the game in a different way. He should just use them sometimes. But he calls every play … I don't think he should've been fired but he definitely needs offense.'
3 Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau coaching his team in the huddle during Game 3 of their Eastern Conference finals series against the Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana on May 25, 2025.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
The Knicks fired their head coach three days after they were ousted from the Eastern Conference finals in six games by the rival Indiana Pacers.
It was the Knicks' first conference finals appearance in 25 years.
Thibodeau — who signed a three-year extension with the Knicks last summer — led the Knicks to back-to-back 50-win seasons for the first time since 1995.
He has a 48-55 playoff record as a head coach.
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NBC News
an hour ago
- NBC News
He needed a graveyard shift at UPS to pay for training. Now he's a U.S. champion sprinter
After winning the 400-meter title at the U.S. track and field championships Saturday in Eugene, Oregon, Jacory Patterson returned to find his phone filled with congratulatory messages. Among the well-wishers were some of Patterson's former co-workers. They had seen him operate under pressure at a fast pace before — at a UPS distribution center in South Carolina. As Patterson, 25, showed in Oregon after cruising one lap in 44.16 seconds to win his first individual national title, his speed is unique. Yet his decision to fund his training via a graveyard shift packing boxes into the back of UPS delivery trucks is rooted in a reality that is common throughout his sport. It's hard to make a living in track and field. 'I can definitely say it's a little tougher being unsponsored for sure, because you have no money,' Patterson said in an interview Sunday. 'Everything is coming out of your pockets. And then, having to balance that with getting into meets, paying for gear, paying for spikes and all the things that go into track? And then having to pay your own bills, too; you know, rent, car bills, gas, groceries, like the whole nine yards.' In many major North American professional sports, a single entity such as the NBA, NFL or MLB collects revenue from media rights, merchandising and other licensing and pays out a share to its athletes under the terms of an agreement that has been collectively bargained with their union. Track and field, however, has no single, premier league, and their athletes also have no union. The combination makes established and aspiring pro runners alike the world's fastest freelancers, whose income is dependent on a piecemeal combination that can include endorsements, appearance fees, prize money and money earned from social media and grants. As Patterson can attest, not all of those revenue streams are guaranteed. At last week's U.S. championships, it was not uncommon to see some of the sport's highest-paid and most-decorated athletes, including champion sprinter Noah Lyles, competing alongside peers scratching out a living. On Sunday, Dylan Beard made the U.S. team that will compete in September's world championships in Tokyo in the 110-meter hurdles. To go to the meet, however, the unsponsored hurdler will need to ask for time off from his day job in the deli of a North Carolina Walmart. Patterson left the University of Florida powerhouse campus in 2023 with a pair of NCAA relay championships but his times were not fast enough to earn an all-important sponsorship contract with a shoe company. Shoe companies provide the bulk of money for track athletes though some, but not all, companies utilize so-called 'reduction clauses' to cut an athlete's earnings if certain performance marks are not met. These contracts are almost never made public. The most lucrative, such as the one Adidas holds with Lyles, and a five-year, $11 million deal signed by former Olympic champion Andre de Grasse with Puma, are the exception, not the rule, and even then would make them firmly middle class by NBA, MLB and NFL standards. The 2024 Olympic Trials presented a breakout opportunity for Patterson to make the case for himself to brands, but he didn't advance out of the first round. It didn't shake his confidence in his potential, but he did question how much it would cost him out of pocket to realize it. So, as the world watched the Paris Olympics, Patterson moved to his hometown of Columbia, South Carolina, and last August began a job at UPS. From 10:45 p.m. until nearly 5 a.m., Patterson stood alongside a conveyer belt, picking up boxes containing everything from couches to refrigerators and loading them into delivery trucks. He could pack up to four trucks in a shift, he said. 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Several new competitions announced their intentions to stage new meets in 2025, the most lucrative of which was Grand Slam Track. Fronted by former Olympic champion Michael Johnson, and backed by an announced $30 million in funding, the circuit announced it would host four meets and would not only pay out $3 million in total prize money, but crucially also pay a group who agreed to sign on a contractual, six-figure salary. When Patterson opened his season in April by running 44.27 seconds at a meet in Florida, potential sponsors began to call his agent, he said. It helped him earn a wild-card entry a month later to a Grand Slam Track meet in Florida, where he ran a personal-best 43. Only two men in the world have run faster in the three months since, making Patterson a legitimate threat to win a gold medal at September's world championships in Tokyo. Even better, the race also earned him $50,000 — a career-changing sum in a sport whose longest-established, and highest-profile meet circuit comparatively paid Patterson one-fifth that amount for winning a 400 at one of its meets in late May. Yet months after he earned the money, the $50,000 owed to Patterson by Grand Slam Track still has not been paid, he said, adding he believes the money will arrive in September. Under a funding shortfall, the circuit ended its season after only three meets, and it has yet to pay any athletes for prize money from its first two competitions, in Jamaica and Florida. The company is "recapitalizing," a spokesperson said in a statement, and "is anticipating investor funds to hit our account imminently, and the athletes are our top priority. Once these funds are received on our end, we will work to immediately process them to the athletes." What Patterson's performance at Grand Slam did provide, more immediately, was an overnight spike in attention from potential sponsors. By late May, Patterson quietly put in his two weeks' notice with his UPS manager. On June 5, the day after Patterson announced his long-awaited sponsorship with the sportswear giant Nike, he worked his final day loading boxes. 'Everybody (at UPS) was like, man, go chase that dream,' Patterson said. Part of that dream was realized when he won the U.S. title Saturday while crossing the finish line in a Nike singlet. 'It's not always gonna be easy,' he said. 'If it would, you know, everybody would be U.S. champion.' Patterson said he understands why his time UPS has drawn so much interest. The notion of an athlete needing a second job to fund a first love is largely unheard of in major domestic leagues. Still, he said he wants to be known for more than just what he did at his former workplace. And he will be at September's world championships, should Patterson deliver the goods, once again.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Inside Luka Dončić's U.S. tour: From Lakers extension to a surprise Backstreet Boys concert
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When the Lakers opened their doors for the celebratory news conference a few hours later, reporters were met by a custom-built photo wall with moments from Dončić's draft night, national team and brief time with the Lakers. Photo display inside the facility for Luka's extension presser — Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) August 2, 2025 He continued his work to connect with the Lakers' fan base. Dončić had previously donated money toward wildfire relief and to restore a Kobe Bryant mural. Saturday, he deliberately opened his news conference by addressing Lakers fans in Spanish. 'And that's it,' he joked. 'No English.' After the news conference, Dončić found out about the plans to attend the Backstreet Boys concert and that he'd be joined by not just his family and friends, but by teammates and members of the organization including Jeanie Buss and Walter. 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From the grin he had on his face Sunday on that roof, a smile that fought through all the fatigue from the jam-packed promotional tour and an impromptu Vegas celebration, it was obvious that he can't wait to get back on the court. And for the next three years — and maybe more — the court that he'll call home will be in Los Angeles with the Lakers.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
New York Knicks mailbag: Giannis watch and could Ben Simmons be a serious option?
The NBA calendar is smack dab in the middle of its most dull period. But, of course, the Knicks remain busy. Last week, the franchise signed Mikal Bridges to a four-year, $150 million extension, keeping New York's core that made the Eastern Conference finals this past season intact for the next few years. New Knicks head coach Mike Brown recently added former Sacramento Kings assistants Riccardo Fois and Charles Allen to his staff and is also eying current Charlotte Hornets assistant coach Chris Jent, per league sources. As for the roster, after signing Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele this offseason, the Knicks still have room to sign a veteran's minimum player and a player on a rookie deal. As we wait to see if New York inks extensions with Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson, let's answer reader questions on the offseason so far and the upcoming season. This is Part 1 of a two-part mailbag. Did the Mikal extension have any connection/correlation with the Giannis (Antetokounmpo) situation in Milwaukee? — @aaron24_8__2 It is my understanding that Leon Rose and company have been monitoring Giannis Antetokounmpo's situation in Milwaukee very closely, even before the offseason started. Many around the league believe the Knicks are interested in star hunting, and while that opportunity hasn't popped up yet, I certainly believe it's in the cards if the right situation presents itself. Advertisement As for the Bridges extension, I don't think it's a coincidence that New York waited this long into the summer to get it done. The Giannis situation has lingered (and is continuing to somewhat linger), but people I've talked to are fairly confident Antetokounmpo will start next season with Milwaukee. I also don't think it's a coincidence that the Knicks signed Bridges to an extension before Aug. 6. A player who signs an extension can't be traded for six months. If Bridges signed his extension on Aug. 6 or later, he wouldn't be eligible to get moved until next summer, as six months from Aug. 6 would take us past the expected February trade deadline. The fact that Bridges signed before then makes him eligible to be traded, if the Knicks choose to do that, before the deadline. I don't believe New York did this because it is without a doubt trading Bridges. I believe Rose and company did this to give themselves some flexibility in the event something — like Giannis wanting out — becomes a possibility. Is Ben Simmons really a serious option the Knicks are considering? They certainly need another playmaker, but I don't know about Ben. — @2lowtech Simmons has been talked about around the Knicks, per league sources, with their minimum roster slot. If you're asking me what I think of the fit, I wouldn't be a fan of the signing. Yes, he'd add some much-needed size to the backcourt. Yes, a defensive lineup of Simmons, Bridges and Anunoby would be intriguing for small portions of a game. However, I'm not a fan of having to have a tailor-made offense for a backup point guard. Simmons' inability to shoot — or even look at the basket — makes it so that Brown couldn't successfully play him with non-shooters like Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson. Giving significant minutes to a guard or wing who isn't willingly looking to score isn't something I'd sign up for. Advertisement New York needs to embrace its five-out spacing this season more than it did last year, and adding someone like Simmons to the rotation makes it trickier to do that. How realistic does it look that the Knicks will offer Mitchell Robinson an extension/new deal with the second apron? — @HerlihyRobert To me, the Robinson situation has more to do with New York's uncertainty about whether the oft-injured big man can stay healthy. As things stand now, Robinson is extension-eligible. Until he signs an extension, he'll play next season on a $12.9 million expiring contract. There are a couple of ways to look at this situation. Let's start from the Knicks' perspective. Would New York like Robinson back beyond next season? I'm sure it would for the right price. I'm just not sure the Knicks are even willing to give out a contract similar to the one Robinson is currently finishing due to the fact that he hasn't been available for a large part of the last three seasons. The team has to consider its financial situation going forward, and not everyone on the roster can get paid. Furthermore, other teams around the NBA respect Robinson as a player but are frightened by his size and injury history. It might make sense in the Knicks' mind, if they do want to bring him back after this season, to allow him to test the open market next year. It would give them an opportunity — though risky because he'd be an unrestricted free agent — to see what his value is to other teams and potentially get him for cheaper than they would now by signing him to an extension. I get why New York would want to wait. On the flip side, I could also see why Robinson would want to test the open market (even if I'd prefer the security given his injury history). He told us multiple times last season that he's invested more time and money into his body. If he believes he can get through the bulk of a season again without any major injury, that's a positive for him. In addition, Robinson was just one of New York's three most impactful players during a postseason run the franchise hasn't seen in 25 years. If he can do what he did this last postseason over the bulk of next year, that will bode well for him as it pertains to his next contract. Advertisement How this situation plays out will be interesting to monitor over the next 12 months. Who's the backup PG next season? Kolek? Or someone else? — @NewYork4Everr I don't think the Knicks' backup point guard for next season is on the roster yet. I'd be a bit surprised if New York started the year with Tyler Kolek playing behind Jalen Brunson. I'm not sure Kolek's ready for such a big role, considering the Knicks have such lofty expectations for next season. Miles McBride is best utilized as an off-ball guard, in my opinion. However, I wouldn't be stunned if he took on backup point-guard duties next year. I'm expecting New York to use its veteran's minimum spot on the point guard position, with names like Simmons, Malcolm Brogdon, Delon Wright and Monté Morris worth monitoring. (Photo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jalen Brunson: Evan Bernstein / Getty Images)
