Oklahoma City Thunder Fire Coach Scott Brooks

The Oklahoma City Thunder have fired head coach Scott Brooks, Adrian Wojnarowski with Yahoo! Sports first reported.

Wojnarowski cited league sources stating that Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti traveled to California in order to let Brooks know that they would be letting him go. The league sources added that Brooks is expected to be the top coaching choice for several other teams, such as the Orlando Magic and the Denver Nuggets.

Presti released this statement on the team's website:

"This is an extremely difficult decision on many levels. Scott helped establish the identity of the Thunder and has earned his rightful place in the history of our organization through his seven years as a valued leader and team member. As we all know, this past year we had unique and challenging circumstances and as I have conveyed, not many people could have accomplished what Scott and this team were able to. Therefore, it is very important to state that this decision is not a reflection of this past season, but rather an assessment of what we feel is necessary at this point in time in order to continually evolve, progress and sustain.

We determined that, in order to stimulate progress and put ourselves in the best position next season and as we looked to the future, a transition of this kind was necessary for the program. We move forward with confidence in our foundation and embrace the persistence and responsibility that is required to construct an elite and enduring basketball organization capable of winning an NBA championship in Oklahoma City."

Brooks, who was well liked by his players, had a tough season with two of his star players, Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka out with injuries. Despite not having two vital parts of the team, the Thunder finished with a winning record of 45-37. In the highly competitive Western Conference, the Thunder ended up finishing ninth and missed the playoffs.

Many people were critical of the Thunder's decision to fire Brooks.

Frank Isola with the New York Daily News tweeted:

Chris Mannix with Sports Illustrated, commented, "Scott Brooks took OKC to three conference Finals and an NBA Finals. Without catastrophic injuries the last two years, would have done more.... Perception of Brooks coaching has always been a little ridiculous. The results in Oklahoma City speak for itself."

Brooks has a 338-207 regular season record in his seven years with the Thunder. He led the team to one NBA Finals appearance in 2012, which they lost to the Miami Heat.