FILE PHOTO: Feb 7, 2021; New York, New York, USA; Head coach Tom Thibodeau of the New York Knicks speaks with Julius Randle #30 during the game against the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden on February 07, 2021 in New York City. Mandatory Credit: Mike Stobe/Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Knicks’ Tom Thibodeau was announced as the 2020-21 NBA Coach of the Year on Monday.
It is the second such honor for Thibodeau, who also was named the league’s top coach during the 2010-11 season with the Chicago Bulls. He is the first coach to win the award in his first season with two separate franchises.
Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams received two more first-place votes than Thibodeau (45-43) but lost 351-340 in total points. The 11-point margin was the smallest to separate first and second place since the points format started in 2002-03.
Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder wound up in third place with 161 points and 10 first-place votes.
The Philadelphia 76ers’ Doc Rivers got two first-place votes and took fourth place with 24 points. The Atlanta Hawks’ Nate McMillan (12 points), the Brooklyn Nets’ Steve Nash (seven points) and the Denver Nuggets’ Michael Malone (five points) also appeared on ballots.
Coaches earned five points for every first-place vote, three points for every second-place vote and one point for every third-place vote.
Thibodeau led the Knicks to a 41-31 record, which tied for the fourth-best mark in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks reached the postseason for the first time since the 2012-13 campaign but were eliminated by the Atlanta Hawks in the first round.
The announcement made Thibodeau the third Knicks coach to win the award. He joined Red Holzman (1969-70) and Pat Riley (1992-93).