We knew that fired Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau was a maniacal, insane workaholic at his actual job. Turns out he’s also a maniacal, insane workaholic when given the opportunity to do something for fun.
Tom Thibodeau once made a Little League team wait so he could practice a first pitch
This story says everything you need to know about Thibodeau’s insane work ethic.
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The great Sam Smith of Bulls.com tells the story of when Thibodeau was given the honor of throwing out the first pitch at a White Sox-Cubs game following his first coaching season. There was absolutely no need to practice ... and yet Thibodeau practiced so hard that he made a Little League team wait their turn to use the field.
Thibodeau went to the mound about 50 feet away with the bucket of baseballs and started throwing one after another until sweat was pouring off him on the hot, humid afternoon. For perhaps an hour, Thibs practiced his throw. Almost all of them were perfect as Thibs still is a pretty good athlete and despite a late night appetite still was in good shape before knee surgery to come. But another and another. Like his practices and walk throughs in his philosophy of life and basketball, it’s in the preparation and the building of habits.
But there was more than just throwing the ball.
Thibs practiced walking the 50 or 60 feet back and forth; he practiced a wave, which he would do so casually and professionally that night. A little league team showed up after a while to practice on the field. Thibs persuaded them to give him a little more time and again he went through the routine as they watched.
After all of that, Thibodeau’s first pitch was out of the strike zone. Clearly, he didn’t practice enough. (But at least he got the wave right).
