The New York Knicks fired coach Derek Fisher today, less than two seasons into his failed tenure as a first-time coach.
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With the Knicks mired in a 1-9 slide, including five straight losses, and seemingly no relief in sight, Jackson apparently decided that enough was enough.
The Knicks hired him in June 2014 shortly after he ended his playing career. “So it was a very hard situation, regardless of where he coached”, Rambis said.
Walton will not be going anywhere in the short term, according to two sources, but will listen to interested parties after the season.
However, in the aftermath of the firing, it’s clear that there were three big factors that led to Fisher’s firing: Fisher’s dust-up with Grizzlies forward Matt Barnes early in the season, the Knicks’ surprisingly competitive start, and his approach to Phil Jackson’s triangle offense.
Derek Fisher was sacked by Phil Jackson and replaced by another former Laker Kurt Rambis. Chicago won 50 games in two other seasons under Thibodeau, and made the playoffs in each of the other two seasons he was at the helm-seasons during which Derrick Rose was sidelined by injuries.
Fisher was with the team for less than 2 seasons, posting a 17-65 mark during the 2014-15 season. You may remember that Barnes and Fisher, who were teammates and friends while members of the Lakers, got into an altercation in October over Barnes’ estranged wife, Gloria Govan.
Jackson addressed the media after Fisher was sacked and admitted, “No one’s happy about that. “That was embarrassing for us and for Derek, but that had nothing to do with what”s happened here (Monday).”.
Rambis, 57, becomes the 27th head coach in franchise history.
“He’ll go on to be a coach again”, Bryant said before Monday night’s game at Indiana. “He knows it’s serious, but still just a game”.
“I’ve been around too long to have that hope”, Rambis said of being the coach beyond this season.
They had the look of a playoff team most of the season but are stumbling into the All-Star break.
The performance by the Knicks in the last 10 games was probably the last straw for James Dolan and Jackson, as the Knicks lost to the Denver Nuggets in a home game matinee Sunday afternoon.
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In 136 games as Knicks head coach, Fisher went 40-96. Brooklyn had already dumped Lionel Hollins.
