The fifth coaching change of this summer's job cycle happened in stunning fashion Tuesday afternoon, as the New York Knicks -- fresh off making the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in a quarter century -- parted ways with Tom Thibodeau.

Thibodeau leading the franchise to what has easily been its best stretch of success since the 1990s -- winning at least one playoff series in three straight seasons and advancing to the conference finals to culminate his five-year run with the team he grew up rooting for -- was not enough for him to get a chance to end New York's 26-year Finals drought and 52-year championship drought next season.

That task will instead fall upon whomever president of basketball operations Leon Rose chooses to replace him. That person will walk into the job wi

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