May 15--Last summer, reports circulated from credible news outlets that the Lakers and Warriors planned to ask for permission to interview Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau.
Neither scenario transpired. And in a sign of how badly the relationship between Thibodeau and management had frayed, both sides felt the other side leaked the information.
The Thibodeau sweepstakes are about to begin. At this point, nobody knows how they will end. But this time, expect at least the Pelicans and Magic to follow through with requests for permission to speak with Thibodeau.
Even more certain is this: Expect management to grant permission.
With two years remaining on his deal, management views Thibodeau as an asset. It absolutely will seek compensation for him. The other, less palatable option, is to fire him over philosophical differences. And the wild card, of course, is ownership, which has remained silent on Thibodeau's status.
"Until they tell me I'm not, I expect to be here," Thibodeau said. "That's the way I approach it."
Thibodeau also said he hasn't "even thought about" how he would handle interest from other teams should he receive it. But that's the difference between this summer and last. This time, Thibodeau is expected to have some say in his future since other NBA teams are expected to show interest in him.
Also, last summer, Thibodeau's relationship with management, while not perfect, hadn't deteriorated to the point it is at now. But a season of clashing over philosophy, not to mention a high-profile incident in which broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy criticized Bulls' management for historically undermining coaches, soured the relationship beyond repair.
With Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah coming off knee surgeries, management imposed minute limitations on those two players and a consecutive-minute limitation on Kirk Hinrich. Thibodeau, who often says championship habits are built through practice and repetition, bristled on the policy from the start.
Though Van Gundy has made similar comments about Bulls' management before, his remarks during a Jan. 25 road game at Dallas bothered the organization enough that general manager Gar Forman confronted Van Gundy that night. Executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson followed suit two days later, telling the Tribune that Van Gundy owed team Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf an apology.
The Bulls viewed Van Gundy, who hired Thibodeau for his staffs in New York and Houston, as serving as Thibodeau's mouthpiece. Reached by the Tribune that day, Van Gundy said he stood by his comments and that he had made similar points before the Bulls hired Thibodeau.
"Tom Thibodeau isn't being undermined at all," Paxson said then. "What's being undermined is the entire Bulls organization by Van Gundy, who has an agenda against our organization for whatever reason and has for years. I guess he thinks he's trying to protect his friend, but he's doing just the opposite. It's pretty pathetic when you think about it, and truth be told he owes Jerry Reinsdorf an apology for his disparaging remarks."
Thibodeau enjoys living in Chicago and coaching the Bulls. He had input in designing his office in the sparkling new practice facility. The Bulls' 255 regular-season victories in his five seasons trail only the Spurs, Thunder and Heat despite Rose missing most all of three seasons.
But pro sports are littered with stories of clashes over power and philosophy. This one fits neatly in line, headed to an unknown conclusion that promises to be anything but neat.
