When the Bulls let Tom Thibodeau go, reports surfaced that a few players didn’t care for Thibs’ tough tactics.
Rest assured, Jimmy Butler was not one.
Thibs’ star pupil had nothing but good things to say about his former coach while the two worked together at the USA Basketball minicamp on Wednesday.
Butler said Team USA players ask him about Thibodeau: "I tell them, 'Look, it's real with him. But he knows what he's doing. He wins games."
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) August 12, 2015
Butler’s right. Among NBA coaches of three-plus seasons, Thibodeau (.647) has the sixth-highest win percentage, sandwiched between Red Auerbach at No. 5 and Pat Riley at No. 7.
Butler fired off the line of the day about Thibs wearing shorts.
Jimmy Butler: "Thibs has shorts on so you know he's having a good day."
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) August 12, 2015
Thibs explaining to Krzyzewski how to win 62 games in an NBA season pic.twitter.com/XfZVgmS6Cr
— Sam Smith (@SamSmithHoops) August 12, 2015