It was initially difficult to have ever visualized a scenario wherein John Calipari would return to the NBA, and yet, that’s what the rumor mill is indicating.
His tenure with the Nets was an absolute disaster, as Calipari went 26-56 in his first season with the team, back in 1996, and it didn’t get much better after that. His Nets began the 1998-99 season 3-17, and that resulted in him getting fired.
To his credit, he’s been great at the college ranks, and worked wonders at Memphis and Kentucky, completing rebuilding both programs, recruiting some of the best talent in the country. But there’s a big difference between college and pros, as guys like Nick Saban from the football world have figured out.
But Calipari has hinted that he’d be interested in a potential return to the NBA, and the Knicks may be looking into possibly scratching that itch. Marc Berman of the New York Post reported that Calipari should not be counted out for the Knicks job, so it does appear that the team has been in contract with him, on some level.
This would be a very Knicks-like hire, as we believe that veteran coaches like Tom Thibodeau would be a much better fit to rebuild the team and its culture.
