It'll take years to repair the damage done to one of the NBA's flagship franchises, but it's a start.
Isiah Thomas was fired as coach of the New York Knicks on Friday after a season of listless and dreadful basketball, a tawdry lawsuit and unending chants from fans demanding Thomas' dismissal.
Thomas, the coach for two seasons, will remain with the organization reporting directly to new president Donnie Walsh, a rapid fall for Thomas who also was team president a little more than two weeks ago.
Walsh said he informed Thomas of the decision Friday.
"It's very difficult to be the coach and general manager," he said. "Maybe it was too much."
Walsh took over Thomas' role as team president April 2, and his first big decision was to change coaches as he begins the process of turning around a team that never won a playoff game in Thomas' tenure.
"I just believe a new voice, a new coach, is necessary to change the direction of the team," Walsh said. "This is a coveted job. People want to coach here.
The Knicks finished 23-59, matching the franchise record for losses, in their seventh straight losing season.
"I can't tell you really where we failed," Walsh said. "The bottom line is we haven't won, and the team didn't look like it was motivated to try to win."
Two of those 59-loss debacles came in the last three years, when the Knicks solidified themselves as the NBA's most dysfunctional franchise with poor play on the court and embarrassing behavior off it.
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