logo
"The Knicks got to be the stupidest damn people in the world" - Charles Barkley sounds off on the New York Knicks

"The Knicks got to be the stupidest damn people in the world" - Charles Barkley sounds off on the New York Knicks

Yahoo13-06-2025
"The Knicks got to be the stupidest damn people in the world" - Charles Barkley sounds off on the New York Knicks originally appeared on Basketball Network.
The New York Knicks stunned the basketball world in early June when they fired head coach Tom Thibodeau days after the team was eliminated from the Eastern Conference finals by the Indiana Pacers.
Advertisement
While Thibs wasn't without flaws, especially with his penchant for playing his starters heavy minutes, there's no denying the role he played in bringing the Knicks back to elite status, compiling a 226-174 record in the five seasons he helmed the team.
Coaches getting let go is by no means a rare occurrence in the NBA, but the lack of a solid succession plan has not gone unnoticed among fans and experts. Hall of Famer Charles Barkley shared his piece on the matter before Game 3 of the 2025 NBA Finals.
Chuck didn't mince words
Barkley, the 1993 MVP, has never been one to keep his words in check, especially if he has strong opinions on a topic. And when it comes to the Knicks' recent coaching change and current search for a suitable replacement, he didn't hold back.
Advertisement
"The Knicks got to be the stupidest damn people in the world. Like, you don't fire no good coach like that and don't have a plan," he surmised. "I mean, Thibs did a hell of a job. Obviously, something's going on there, but you don't have a plan."
Despite being one of the league's most revered franchises, the Knicks haven't won an NBA title since 1973. Before Thibs came on board as head coach, New York went through seven losing seasons, failing to make the postseason in each one. Now, the coach who managed to get the best out of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns is no longer on the roster, with no replacement in sight.
"You got to have a plan, man, and they don't have a plan now. I mean, I don't know what the hell they're going to do," Barkley stressed.
Related: "Larry Bird said, 'If Robert doesn't want to be here, trade his a—'" - Robert Parish admits he didn't take Bird's side in his fight with Julius Erving
Numerous rejected
The Knicks' front office has been busy securing meetings with several NBA coaches. However, their efforts to meet with the likes of the Atlanta Hawks' Quin Snyder, the Minnesota Timberwolves' Chris Finch, the Dallas Mavericks' Jason Kidd and the Houston Rockets' Ime Udoka were all rebuffed.
Another Hall of Famer, Grant Hill, chimed in, saying New York's attempts at hiring a new head coach have reeked of desperation.
Advertisement
"It does look bad. It looks almost desperate. You think, okay, you can debate whether the decision to fire Thibs was the right one or not — clearly, you assume they know more than we know — but to go through this now, third person, possibly fourth coach? It's just like, okay, what's going on here?" Hill stated.
The fact that the Knicks were a good bounce or two away from playing in the finals struck Hill as off. Now, they may have to start from scratch, trying to learn a new system under a new head coach.
"You got a team knocking on the door, could have been here right now playing in the Finals. So it's just not a good look right now. We'll see how that all plays out," Grant added.
One former coach that Knicks fans are high on is Mark Jackson. The former Knicks great hasn't had a coaching gig since he helped rejuvenate the Golden State Warriors in 2011. ESPN's Stephen A. Smith has verbalized his support for the former All-Star to nab the Knicks' head coaching position.
Advertisement
Related: "If this team was in the playoff race, I'd love to be here" - John Starks on why he played only four games for the Chicago Bulls
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Nets rank 8th in ESPN's NBA rebuild rankings after summer league
Nets rank 8th in ESPN's NBA rebuild rankings after summer league

Yahoo

time23 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Nets rank 8th in ESPN's NBA rebuild rankings after summer league

The Brooklyn Nets officially began their current rebuild last summer when they shockingly traded guard Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks for multiple first-round picks over the next few years. Brooklyn has continued to take steps along the way to maximize their goal of acquiring draft capital and/or young players, but they appear to be falling behind other rebuilding teams as well. "When the Nets got back their draft picks for 2025 and 2026, the plan was not to wind up with the No. 8 pick. From that standpoint, the answer is no," ESPN wrote when discussing whether the Nets' rebuild is working at the moment. ESPN gave that explanation within its article ranking Brooklyn eighth in its latest rebuild list, indicating that the Nets are falling towards the middle of the pack in terms of the success of its rebuild. "But if Brooklyn can come out of next year with a high-end pick, then the Nets can at least begin to move forward," ESPN continued. "The Porter acquisition took a big chunk out of next summer's cap space, but the Nets will still have tens of millions to spend." After officially ending the Big 3 era in Brooklyn by trading away Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant during the 2022-23 season, the Nets have been trying to get back to the point were they can think about competing for titles again. The 2025 NBA Draft was Brooklyn's first chance to take advantage of the trades they have been making and they broke an NBA-record by taking five players in the same draft. Guard Egor Demin, one of the players that Brooklyn took with the eighth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, will be one of the faces of the Nets' rebuild given how much draft capital was invested in him. Other than that, Brooklyn is hoping that some of the younger players on the team, such as guard Cam Thomas and forward Noah Clowney, can develop into something more to give this rebuild a better chance of being successful. This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets rank 8th in ESPN's NBA rebuild rankings after summer league

Luka ​​Dončić began training for offseason the day after the Lakers were eliminated from playoffs
Luka ​​Dončić began training for offseason the day after the Lakers were eliminated from playoffs

Yahoo

time38 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Luka ​​Dončić began training for offseason the day after the Lakers were eliminated from playoffs

Luka ​​Dončić and the Lakers had an ugly end to their year last season, losing to the Wolves in five games in the first round of the playoffs. An early exit when you are the favored team and the No. 3 seed would irk anyone, but it clearly bothered Luka. So much so that he wasted no time getting ready for the 2025-26 NBA campaign, beginning his workout routine for the following year the very next day. In an exclusive with Men's Health, Andrew Heffernan and Ebenezer Samuel detailed Luka's quick start to his long summer. All Dončić wanted to do after this season ended was train, and he made that clear to his manager, Lara Beth Seager, on May 1, one day after the Lakers were ousted from the first round of the NBA playoffs. The loss was the nadir of Dončić's worst NBA season. For all the criticism of Dončić's body, until this past season, nobody could diss his body of work: He'd never played fewer than 60 games in a season, and just a year earlier, he'd powered the Mavs to the NBA Finals. No such luck in 2024. A calf injury knocked him out for all of January. Then Dallas sent him packing. Then came the 4-1 playoff series decimation at the hands of the Timberwolves. One day after that loss, Dončić texted Seager to start his offseason training program ASAP. 'So every summer I try my best to work on different things,' he says. 'Obviously, I'm very competitive. This summer was just a little bit different, you know. It kind of motivated me to be even better.' Luka getting his offseason training started immediately with some new, intense summer workouts is good for him and great for the Lakers. Dončić is already a five-time All-NBA player. Despite some disappointments last year and an ugly split with the Mavericks, his talent and results are already historically good. Even with his defensive flaws and questions about his conditioning, a Luka-led team has come out of the Western Conference and made it to the NBA Finals in 2024. The goal is always a title in Los Angeles. With Luka looking slimmer and taking advantage of this unusually long offseason, all signs indicate he will give himself the best chance at being in tip-top shape when training camp begins. If Luka does that, then we just might see a peak from Dončić that's never been seen before. Given what he's already accomplished as a basketball player, that should be an exciting proposition for Lakers fans and a potentially horrifying scenario for the rest of the NBA. You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ More from Julius Randle; trade bait or legitimate building block for the Lakers Paul George says he has 'no regrets at all' asking for a trade to the Lakers The 5 biggest Lakers storylines to watch in 2018 Lakers News: Lonzo Ball, Brook Lopez cleared to return to practice, listed as questionable vs. Thunder Lakers Injury News: Kyle Kuzma status in the air vs. Thunder Lakers Injury Report: Lonzo Ball return date targeted, Brook Lopez back in action Lakers vs. Timberwolves Final Score: Ice-cold start dooms Lakers in 114-96 loss

Chris Paul glad to be back home in L.A. with his family and the Clippers
Chris Paul glad to be back home in L.A. with his family and the Clippers

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Chris Paul glad to be back home in L.A. with his family and the Clippers

Before Chris Paul's voice echoed through the room, his reasons for returning home were staring at him. His three children, perched quietly next to their mom, Jada Crawley, watched as Paul talked about why he decided to return to the Clippers. Paul's mother sat in the second row of the news conference with a beaming smile. Chris Paul was back home. 'It was a no-brainer. The easiest decision in this is sitting right up here,' Paul said, gesturing to his family in the front three rows. 'Right here, it's my family.' When Paul was first introduced as a Clipper in December 2011, he spoke of measuring up against 'big brother' Chauncey Billups and soaring alongside Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan — a core that would lob their way into Clippers lore. Paul's first message to L.A. were three constants — the allure of the city, the talent beside him and a title that still eluded them. On Monday, Paul traded the sharp lines of his 2011 debut suit and red silk tie for something looser — flowing black slacks, red Nike Air Jordan 1s and a flash of gold on his wrist. And 14 years after his L.A. premiere, he spoke of sharing the court with James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. But this time, the Clippers star-studded lineup wasn't what lit his path home. 'If I'm really honest, I wanted to get back and play here by any means necessary,' Paul said. 'I didn't even care what the team looked like. I just wanted to be home, be here with the Clippers.' Gratitude washed over Paul's words — for his year in San Antonio, for Clippers coach Tyronn Lue, for Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and for a 21st season. But anchoring it all was his family. Paul is no longer thinking about playing in another city away from his family. The tearful send-offs are behind him. His mornings now begin with sunrise workouts with his son. He winds down in the evenings talking to his daughter. 'To tell you the truth, my wife and my kids probably [are] tired of me already,' Paul said, his wife laughing. 'Because ever since I got the news, every time we home, I'm just jumping around talking about, 'I'm home, I'm home, I'm home.'' As familiar as he is with the Clippers, Paul said his return still felt surreal — the No. 3 stitched onto a Clippers jersey, his name gleaming above the locker and a 'Welcome Back' message circling the halo board. What makes it even sweeter? A brand new stage. The last time Paul played for the Clippers, they played at Staples Center (now Arena). On Monday, he got an up-close look at the Intuit Dome. 'Walking around now, it's a total different feeling,' Paul said. 'Last time I walked through here, I was just sort of peeking because I didn't know if a guy on the current team was here and they [were] like, 'What the hell are you doing here?'' Paul noted the franchise's makeover — new colors, new logo — but one thing, he said, hadn't budged: the fans. One corner of Arena still lives staunchly in Paul's memory. Section 114 housed the pockets of Clippers die-hards he'd glance at after every dagger three or rim-rattling "Lob City" spectacle. Some fans, Paul said, even pledged loyalty in ink. Back then, some made a pact that if the Clippers scored 114 points in a game, they'd get a '114' tattoo. When the team delivered, so did they. 'The fans here are like none other,' Paul said. 'They are really fans of the game. … The team and everybody, they deserve good things and deserve to see this team win.' Read more: Chris Paul is a 'natural fit' for Clippers as reserve point guard Paul got a full dose of nostalgia a short time later when dozens of Clippers fans gave him a standing ovation, chanting, 'CP3!' He sank into his seat, shoulders folding inward as he clasped his hands — emotion creeping in as the cheers grew louder. 'This is crazy,' he said. So as Paul rose from the podium and thanked the media, his mother held her gaze, her smile still stitched in place. For eight years, she'd grown used to goodbyes. But this time, there would be no parting hug. 'This is one of those things I kind of manifested for a long time, sort of tried to speak it into existence,' Paul said. 'Because I love to hoop, I love to play this game, but I love my family more than any of it.' Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store