“They getting Demon Ham instead” – NBA fans react to Doc Rivers being looked over by New York Knicks for vacant HC spot

It’s been nearly two weeks since the Indiana Pacers took down the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals, and nearly 10 days since they parted ways with Tom Thibodeau.

The Knicks have reportedly left no stone unturned in their pursuit of a replacement, even asking for permission to talk to several current coaches.

So far, they’ve unsuccessfully tried to reach out to the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Chris Finch, Houston Rockets’ Ime Udoka and Dallas Mavericks’ Jason Kidd.

However, it's not like they're trying to hire any acting coach. According to a report by Sam Amick, they've deliberately left out a group of coaches from their pursuit:

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“I spent part of Wednesday evening trying to figure out which other current head coaches the Knicks might have attempted to contact," Amick reported.

"It’s worth sharing that league sources say the Knicks did not request permission to speak to this elite coaching crew: The Pacers’ Rick Carlisle, the Warriors’ Steve Kerr, the Bucks’ Doc Rivers, the Clippers’ Ty Lue and the Lakers’ JJ Redick.”

Notably, it didn't take long before the fans took to social media to crack jokes about this situation, mocking Rivers and assistant coach Darvin Ham.

Here are some of the best reactions:

DraftKings Network

@DKNetwork

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Sources say the Bucks offered the Knicks Doc Rivers and Darvin Ham as a “package deal” along with cash considerations.

They haven’t heard back.

TheLakeDown

@TheLakeDown

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Doc causing enough problems in Milwaukee they don’t want none of that 😂

VegasCheesehead

@Shady_Justin

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We will even throw in Kuz for free

Others chose to mock the Knicks instead:

TonyG

@TGTatum4_3

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It’s amazing how no one wants to coach the Knicks 🤣

Ghost

@Ghostdudww

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Even he would decline 😭

Knicks aren't in a rush to replace Tom Thibodeau

The clock is ticking, but the Knicks aren't desperate to get a deal done right now. They know they need to ace this hire, and they can't afford to drop the ball after parting ways with a coach that led them to back-to-back 50-win seasons.

In a Thursday column, SNY insider Ian Begley claimed that, while the Knicks are taking a hands-on approach and have worked around the clock to figure out a course of action, they're not desperate or in any rush to get a deal done:

"The Knicks have to figure out who that next head coach is first. I don’t think they are in a rush to make a hire and I’d expect them to spend some more days gauging the landscape/figuring out their options."

While they might not find luck with any sitting coach, there are feasible and proven options like Mike Malone or Frank Vogel, and they've also been tied to Cleveland Cavaliers' assistant coach Johnnie Bryant, who coached under Thibodeau's tutelage for years before joining Kenny Atkinson's coaching staff.

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About the author

Ernesto Cova

Ernesto Cova is a journalist at Sportskeeda with a PhD in Sports Psychology. His education helped him develop a clearer understanding of the sports world as a whole, including basketball. Ernesto has over eight years of experience in the field, working for Fadeaway World, The Inquisitr, NBA Blast, The Cold Wire and Bolavip, among others.

His favorite team is the Chicago Bulls because of the Michael Jordan era. Jordan is Ernesto's all-time favorite, as he changed the game forever. Ernesto's second favorite was Kobe Bryant because he embodied that same competitive fire and Ernesto watched him play throughout his entire career. Nowadays, Ernesto really likes Stephen Curry, who he believes to be the most influential player of the past 15 years or so.

Ernesto's favorite basketball moment was when Venezuela -- his country -- took down Canada to take home the 2015 FIBA Americas Cup.

When not watching or writing about basketball, Ernesto likes to read and is interested in photography.

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