Charles Barkley did not hold back on the New York Knicks’ strategy with their coaching search. He even made a quip that involved Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle.
The Knicks have an open head coaching spot after firing Tom Thibodeau after # seasons. They made the decision even though they reached their first Eastern Conference Finals since 2000, showing a big step of progress for the franchise.
New York has since been reaching to active coaches on NBA teams such as the Dallas Mavericks’ Jason Kidd, Minnesota Timberwolves’ Chris Finch, and Houston Rockets’ Ime Udoka. However, those teams among others have rejected the team’s requests to interview their coaches.
Barkley did not take the Knicks’ approach lightly. So much so that he joked about their strategy by saying if they attempt to request an interview with Carlisle, who’s in the NBA Finals with the Pacers.
“I know we got a long way to go, but if Rick [Carlisle] were to win, the only bad thing about it is the Knicks asked for permission to talk to him. Just being serious. I’m not laughing New York,” Barkley said.
“I know we got a long way to go, but if Rick [Carlisle] were to win, the only bad thing about it is the Knicks asked for permission to talk to him. Just being serious. I’m not laughing New York.”
– Charles Barkley
(via @NBATV)pic.twitter.com/mdMbJAQ12k
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 13, 2025
What’s next for Knicks in coaching search
A lighthearted joke for Charles Barkley to make about the Knicks with the Rick Carlisle reference. However, New York hasn’t had success in their coaching search strategy so far, which will need to have an ending this summer.
The Knicks have appeared in the playoffs four times in the last five seasons under Tom Thibodeau. They returned to a solid status as legitimate playoff contenders with the potential to reach the NBA Finals.
However, their six-game series loss to the Pacers showed that their limitations with Thibodeau are apparent. They may have made the correct decision to move on, but it will be crucial for them to get the hiring of their next head coach to be a great match. Otherwise, a regression would be damaging to their momentum as a star-studded squad.
The post Charles Barkley clowns Knicks’ coaching search strategy with Rick Carlisle quip appeared first on ClutchPoints.
