For the third time in their NBA careers, Tom Thibodeau and Derrick Rose have been reunited.
Rose came off the bench during Tuesday's New York Knicks game against the Miami Heat, his first appearance since New York acquired him in a trade from the Detroit Pistons on Monday.
Thibodeau was thrilled.
"He's still one of the elite players in this league," the Knicks head coach said prior to the contest, according to the New York Daily News' Stefan Bondy.
"He’s lighter than he’s ever been," Thibodeau added. "He’s telling me this is as healthy as he's been."
Rose is beginning his second stint with the Knicks, and third under Thibodeau's guidance. The pair first joined forces during Rose's heyday with the Chicago Bulls from 2010 to 2015, and again with the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2017 to 2019.
At all of his coaching stops, Thibodeau has had a habit of bringing aboard his former players, including Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson.
“It's obviously someone I'm familiar with," Thibodeau continued. "We've been through a lot of things together. But the biggest part is what I felt he could contribute to our team.
"I've always been partial to good players. If someone is a good player, I'm interested. And I think he'll add a lot to our team."
Rose, 32, averaged 14.2 points on 43% shooting over 15 games with Detroit prior to the trade.
