New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau. John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

Kendrick Perkins fires shots at NBA's 'cupcake' players

By Adam Taylor | Last updated 4/23/24

Tom Thibodeau has been voted as the coach most players wouldn't want to play for . It's the third straight year the New York Knicks head coach has finished first in the unwanted voting. Interestingly, Thibodeau has led his team to a second-placed finish in the Eastern Conference.

Multiple players came to Thibodeau's defense after the poll's results hit social media. Donte DiVincenzo pointed out that multiple players on the Knicks roster have been enjoying career years under the veteran coach's tutelage.

Late Monday night, former NBA champion turned ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins shared his thoughts on the Thibodeau situation, calling those who voted for Thibodeau 'cupcake players.'

And another thing before I move on. All those soft ass players that said they wouldn’t want to play for Thibs… guess what? Thibs don’t want to coach yall cupcake asses either. Carry on…
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) April 23, 2024

Perkins' comments came shortly after the Knicks had secured their second straight win over Nick Nurse's Philadelphia 76ers. He's also been vocal regarding New York's roster and their chances of success in the Eastern Conference, labeling Jalen Brunson as an MVP candidate, too.

Thibodeau's coaching is paying dividends for New York. And it would appear the team's fanbase is happy with the progress the team has made since he took the reigns in 2020. As such, it's unlikely that anyone within the franchise has paid much attention to the disrespect being thrown Thibodeau's way.

Perkins is right, perhaps the players that don't want to play for Thibodeau are the type of players he wouldn't want on his team.

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