Thibodeau discusses change in Chicago: 'It doesn't last forever'
Tom Thibodeau is the head coach and president of basketball operations for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah will be hitting the hardwood at Madison Square Garden beginning next season.
The brains behind the operation and two players who were considered the heart and soul of the roster are no longer a part of the Chicago Bulls organization.
"It's sort of the nature of the league. It doesn't last forever," Thibodeau, the assistant coach for the U.S. men's Olympic team, said on Thursday, according to CSN Chicago's Vincent Goodwill. "That was a special group of guys. From where they started, and unfortunately the injuries derailed it some but it was a very prideful group, a proud group."
Rose, a native of the city, was drafted first overall by Chicago in 2008, he made three All-Star teams and won Most Valuable Player in 2011. A slew of injuries, including a torn ACL in his left knee, greatly hindered his play and kept him on the sidelines more often than not, with the team ultimately sending him to the Knicks this offseason in a five-player trade.
Noah followed shortly thereafter as an unrestricted free agent, signing a reported four-year, $72-million contract. He was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2014 and finished fourth in the MVP race. The 6-foot-10 center only made 29 appearances in 2015-16 for the Bulls, though, undergoing surgery on his left shoulder.
"They never gave up, never succumbed to the circumstances," Thibodeau, who coached the team from 2010 to 2015, said of his former players. "They found different ways to win, different guys stepped up. That's the way the league works. Over time, people leave with free agency, change teams. I'm happy for those guys that they're gonna get another opportunity. They've earned it."
While his tenure in The Windy City ended with obvious disconnect between himself and management, Thibodeau will continue to remember his run with the franchise very fondly.
"A lot of great memories. Five years coaching and I stayed last year," he added. "I love the city, the fans were great to me the whole time. You look back, you think of all the great memories you have. Great history, great tradition and we had great guys. It was very enjoyable to coach that team."