New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau “trash talked” Evan Fournier during their recruiting pitch in 2021 free agency.
Two-and-a-half seasons later, Thibodeau spoke glowingly of Fournier after the French guard’s torturous Knicks tenure mercifully ended with a trade to the lottery-bound Detroit Pistons on February 8.
“Yeah, he did a good job for us,” Thibodeau said via Newsday before the Knicks lost a controversial game to the Houston Rockets on February 12. “Sometimes things change—the strengths of your club change. When we signed him we felt a really good fit. He had a great year for us. I have great respect for him and certainly wish him well in Detroit. But it wasn’t easy. It wasn’t easy for him.”
Dream Start With Knicks
Fournier was on Cloud 9 when the Knicks came calling to sign him in 2021. It was in the midst of Fournier’s 2021 Tokyo Olympics campaign with France.
“When I was on the phone with Leon [Rose] and Thibs and Scott [Perry], the first thing that Thibs told me was as soon as I wrap up that silver I have to come to New York so we can talk,” Fournier said on August 17, 2021 during his introductory press conference. “So that was his way of talking a little bit of trash. And unfortunately, that’s what happened.
Team USA, where Thibodeau was a former assistant coach, beat Fournier and France in the gold medal game.
A few weeks after, he landed in New York with a four-year, $78 million deal to play in his “dream city” outside Paris.
Fournier set a franchise record for most 3-pointers in a single season during his first year with the Knicks.
Nightmares in New York
Fournier’s dream run with the Knicks turned into a nightmare from there.
Quentin Grimes, who was traded with him to the Pistons, supplanted him in the starting five in his season with the Knicks. A few months later, he was out of the Knicks rotation as the team surged to the playoffs which culminated in a second-round loss to the Miami Heat.
“You always have to do what’s best for your team,” Thibodeau said via Newsday. “So sometimes that means guys go out the rotation. If the strengths of your club change, that may impact others. Whatever gives you the best chance to win you want to play to your strengths and cover up your weaknesses. That’s what you do. It’s not about liking a guy or not liking a guy. You have to do what’s best for your team.”
Fournier openly talked about his frustration in public. But he maintained his professionalism throughout the remainder of his stay in New York which earned him respect.
Fresh Start in Detroit
Fournier is relieved that he’s finally free.
“I’m really excited to finally be out in New York,” Fournier told Detroit reporters following the Pistons’ February 12 practice. “So looking forward to a new opportunity.”
Fournier’s anguish in Thibodeau’s doghouse officially ended at the February 8 trade deadline. The 31-year-old French guard was part of the package that landed the Knicks Alec Burks and veteran forward Bojan Bogdanovic.
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