The coach who ended the Celtics’ 2024-25 season was on hand Monday to help them prepare for 2025-26.
Tom Thibodeau, who was fired by the Knicks weeks after New York’s second-round triumph over Boston this past spring, visited a Celtics practice at the Auerbach Center ahead of Wednesday’s season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers.
It’s not unusual for unemployed coaches to travel to other teams’ facilities — ex-Memphis Grizzlies bench boss Taylor Jenkins attended a C’s practice earlier this month — but Thibodeau was able to provide a unique perspective.
“I think that was awesome having Thibs,” Jaylen Brown said. “Obviously, they eliminated us last year, so him being able to give some of the thoughts that he saw in that series and some of the stuff that they broke down in our personnel, or even our team, helps us grow and learn from that. We lost last year. It stung losing to the Knicks. So to have Thibs here at our practice and explaining some of the things that he saw to help them beat us only helps me get better, only helps us get better. So I value that. Shoutout to Thibs for being here today.”
The Knicks upset the Celtics in six games in the Eastern Conference semifinals, overcoming double-digit second-half deficits in Games 1, 3 and 4 before steamrolling the depleted defending champions by 38 points in Game 6. Brown said Thibodeau broke down film of how New York successfully defended himself and Jayson Tatum, who suffered a season-ending ruptured Achilles late in Game 4.
“I took a lot (from it), being able to talk to him and ask questions about what he was seeing,” Brown said. “He was breaking down some film and stuff like that, talking to Joe (Mazzulla) from a team perspective and from a top-down perspective, like what he wanted to do with me and Jayson or what he wanted to do when the ball was in my hands. It allows you to grow. If you’re humble enough to listen, it’ll allow you to grow.”
The breakdown was “the first of its kind to this nature” for Brown.
“The teams that have beaten us in the playoffs haven’t been in that position,” he said. “A lot of (their coaches) still have their jobs for the most part. So this was a unique position where a guy could come in directly after and give us some feedback on just how we can be better, how I can be better. So I value that. That was great.”
Thibodeau also had a long conversation with the rehabbing Tatum after practice.
This visit was a homecoming of sorts for the 67-year-old coach, who was raised in Connecticut, attended Salem State and won a championship as a Celtics assistant under Doc Rivers in 2008.
“He’s been one of the best coaches around for a long time,” Mazzulla said. “Worked here, won a championship here, and just having him around makes me better, makes our organization better. Just a lot of respect for him.”
The Celtics will face Thibodeau’s former team this Friday night at Madison Square Garden.
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