Did beating the Boston Celtics actually cost coach Tom Thibodeau his job with the New York Knicks? Such a point of view might sound a bit absurd at first glance, but when you take a deeper dive into the concept being floated in such a statement, there is a case to be made that this could be true.

Rick Pitino is coaching St. John's in New York, though he sounds like he doesn't want much to do with the Knicks job.

Both coaches are under contract with their current teams. Udoka signed a four-year deal with Houston in 2023. The Rockets went 41-41 and missed the playoffs last season. This year, Houston won 52 games and jumped to the No.