Jalen Brunson reacts to Knicks firing Tom Thibodeau with new social media post

New York's star guard breaks his silence on the franchise's surprising move

The New York Knicks reportedly fired Tom Thibodeau after player input sounded alarms along with worries over lineup usage, specifically over-playing stars like Jalen Brunson. Brunson, who had not spoken publicly since New York's decision, used social media Sunday to break his silence on the franchise's surprising move.

Brunson posted a photo of himself and Thibodeau on Instagram with two emojis as a caption — a heart and a fingers crossed graphic. A known supporter of Thibodeau, Brunson put in major playoff minutes during New York's pursuit of a championship. The Knicks were too predictable as a result, per reports, and much of that was reiterated to management — including team president Leon Rose — during a meeting with players after the season.

Brunson's career numbers rose to a heightened level in every statistical category during Thibodeau's tenure in the Big Apple as one of the Eastern Conference's top players averaged 26 points per game and 7.3 assists this season. During the playoffs, Brunson averaged 37.8 minutes per game, an increase from his regular-season tally of 35.4. He earned both of his career all-star appearances under Thibodeau and was named to the All-NBA Team for the second consecutive year this season.

According to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, the New York front office pulled the plug over usage concerns with Brunson and Thibodeau's failure to make schematic adjustments down the stretch. There was continued worry that Thibodeau's penchant for getting the most out of his starting lineup and refusing to go with a deep bench would be detrimental long-term to New York's championship hopes.

Three different Knicks were among the the NBA's leaders in most minutes played this season. Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart were Nos. 1 and 3, respectively, as both averaged more than 37 minutes per game. In March, Bridges asked Thibodeau to ease up on minutes given to starters, but nothing changed.

"Sometimes it's not fun on the body," Bridges said, via the New York Post. "You'll want that as a coach but also talked to him a little bit knowing that we've got a good enough team where our bench guys can come in and we don't need to play 48 [minutes], 47."

Yahoo Sports reports Thibodeau's firing was directly "spearheaded" by Knicks owner James Dolan, who was part of the after-season conversation with players on the franchise's intended direction moving forward.