Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
To no one’s surprise, Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau was fired Thursday after relations between both parties soured to a point where neither could work together anymore. In five seasons with Chicago, “Thibs” posted a 255-139 overall record and a .647 winning percentage, as well as having brought the Bulls to the NBA playoffs each season. Despite Thibodeau’s success as a coach, the 2011 Coach of the Year did not get along with the Bulls’ front office. However, the fact that the Bulls’ front office would fire one of the best coaches in the league is an absolute disgrace.
Rather than putting out a short and simple press release, the Bulls’ front office chose the unprofessional low road by putting out a statement that was less logical than it was emotional. The press release was more of a public disparagement of Thibodeau than anything else, unleashing the built up anger and disdain the Bulls’ front office felt towards Thibodeau for some time. Maybe Thibodeau’s personality isn’t everybody’s favorite, but to use that as a more important factor for the job than his coaching record is just ludicrous. The way the Bulls’ front office handled firing Thibodeau was completely classless.
I guess team owner Jerry Reinsdorf, vice president of basketball operations John Paxson, and general manager Gar Forman kind of forget how much Thibodeau did for this franchise. As talented of a point guard Derrick Rose may be (despite his gruesome injuries), Thibodeau played an important role in Rose’s MVP season in 2011. Center Joakim Noah probably wouldn’t have become an All-Star and defensive MVP for this Bulls team without Thibodeau’s coaching. Guard Jimmy Butler probably wouldn’t have become an outstanding two-way player and future All-Star without the guidance of Thibs. Thanks in large part to Thibodeau, big man Pau Gasol had a career-rebirth this season. And lastly, the Bulls probably would have neither done well in the playoffs nor even make the playoffs during Rose’s injury absence without Thibodeau on the sidelines. Lack of appreciation, wouldn’t you say?
At the end of the day, the Bulls’ front office just needed somebody to blame for injuries over the years to key players and to why this team did not win a championship.
Ironically, this is not the first time the Bulls’ front office has pulled this stunt with a head coach. Back in 2010 before Thibodeau was hired, the Bulls fired head coach Vinny Del Negro for not being able to get along with management despite doing fairly well. For those of you who are interested in personalities, Del Negro’s laid-back personality was the complete opposite to that of Thibodeau’s intensity. It starts to make you wonder what kind of coaching personality can this organization actually get along with.
Going even further back, the way that head coach Phil Jackson was pushed out the door by the Bulls’ front office after the 1998 season was completely disgraceful. Reinsdorf was still the owner of the Bulls and, similarly to the Thibodeau situation, played an important role in seeing Jackson leave. Despite Jackson leading Chicago to six NBA championships in eight seasons alongside Hall of Famers Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, the Bulls’ front office saw it as time to break apart one of the greatest dynasties in American sports history. Not to mention, it was clear that the Bulls’ front office and Jackson did not see eye-to-eye for some time. Even before the Bulls began their sixth championship campaign in 1997-98, people around the team knew that this was it.
As a result, Jackson was all but forced to leave Chicago. However, Jackson’s story obviously did not end in Chicago, as he went on to win five more titles coaching the Los Angeles Lakers. Maybe the Bulls could have learned a lesson from getting rid of the Hall of Famer Jackson when it came to deciding on Thibodeau’s future. Or maybe not.
Thibodeau will no doubt land a job soon in the league, as several head coaching jobs are still open. His ability to both develop talent and coach defense is second-to-none in the NBA. As for Chicago, the Bulls’ front office seems very interested in bringing in Fred Hoiberg from the college ranks to take over as head coach. Maybe once he is gone for a while, the Chicago Bulls will finally appreciate the work of Tom Thibodeau.
Patrick Ralph is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Pat_Ralph, like him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.
