Derrick Rose knows that breaking up is hard to do.
The rumor mill is alive with the equivalent of “Tom Thibodeau is outta here!” chatter. Speculation is only going to heat up in the aftermath of the Chicago Bulls’ Game 6 egg against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night. Their season is over, and so too, it seems, is Thibs’ reign on the sidelines.
But Rose has no interest in that happening, per USA Today‘s Michael Singer:
Rose: "Thibs and I really grew a bond. … I don't mind him as a coach."
— Michael Singer (@RealMikeSinger) May 15, 2015
Derrick Rose on Thibs: "If it was up to me, he'd be back."
— Michael Singer (@RealMikeSinger) May 15, 2015
If Rose was looking for assurances of Thibs’ return from the man himself, he didn’t get them, per Fox Sports Ohio’s Sam Amico:
Bull coach Tom Thibodeau: "Until they tell me I'm not, I expect to be here."
— Sam Amico (@SamAmicoFSO) May 15, 2015
It’s no surprise Rose wants Thibodeau to stay. Beyond the fact that he doesn’t really seem like a rock-the-boat type of guy, he’s been with Thibs for the last half-decade. And, most importantly, Thibs has stood by him, touting him always, through his last few injury-plagued seasons.
When Rose’s commitment to the Bulls was being questioned in 2012-13, as well as his manhood, because he was cleared to return and didn’t, Thibs, along with most other Bulls, were there to stand up for him, and his character, and his manhood, and his commitment to the team.
Most coaches would probably do the same, but it also helped that the Bulls experienced some success without Rose. And they enjoyed that modest success, those recurring playoff appearances, in large part because Thibodeau put them in a position to succeed no matter how shallow injuries left them. There’s no doubt that made things easier on Rose from a public perception standpoint. If the organization was in disarray and losing games like crazy, the takes on his injuries would have been even hotter.
But Rose hasn’t yet returned to a point where the Bulls would consult him on something like this. He’s still trying to regain his superstar label, and the Bulls seem done with Thibs. Only LeBron James himself seems like he could save him as of now.
In all likelihood, Rose will have to get used to the idea of playing for someone else.
The end of the Tom Thibodeau era in Chicago seems nigh.
