“They’re desperate af”: Fans react to Knicks’ surprise interview with Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori for head coach job

June 24, 2025

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It’s been a couple of weeks since the New York Knicks made the shocking decision to fire coach Tom Thibodeau. They lost to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals and pulled the plug on him after five seasons.

The Knicks have had some trouble finding a suitable replacement for Thibodeau. According to Shams Charania of ESPN, they’ve added yet another assistant coach to their list of suitors:

“The New York Knicks are interviewing Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori for the team’s head coaching job, sources tell ESPN. Now three candidates – Nori and two former head coaches Mike Brown and Taylor Jenkins – have done formal interviews for the Knicks’ vacancy,” Charania reported.

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The Knicks are scrambling to get their hands on a better coach, which is why some fans took to social media to call them out.

Here are some of the best reactions:

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Others believe they would've been better off just sticking with Thibodeau in the first place:

Thibodeau left the Knicks with a 226-174 record in the regular season and 24-23 in the playoffs, and he was named Coach of the Year in 2021.

On the other hand, the Knicks have already been turned down by multiple teams when they've requested permission to speak to their sitting coaches.

Knicks could break up their Villanova core

The head coaching search isn't the only issue the Knicks need to address in the offseason. They're over the cap and are projected to be significantly over the first apron of the luxury tax. That's why Dan Favale of Bleacher Report believes that Josh Hart could be on his way out.

"Hart wins out over Mitchell Robinson because he's making $6.5 million more ($19.5 million versus $13 million), but also because he's less of an anomaly," Favale wrote. "Nobody else on the roster brings Robinson's combination of size, interior deterrence, offensive rebounding and (when healthy) mobility."

Hart is close friends and even hosts a podcast with fellow Villanova alumnus Jalen Brunson. The Knicks already traded one of their Villanova players when they moved on from Donte DiVincenzo, but they still have Brunson, Hart and Mikal Bridges.

Hart's still owed nearly $20 million. Since he's established as one of the most versatile and hard-working role players in the league, there should be no shortage of championship contenders looking to acquire his services.

About the author

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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