Jeff Van Gundy skewers Bulls over the way Tom Thibodeau was fired
Van Gundy is going after the Bulls front office and owner for the way they treated Tom Thibodeau.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Jeff Van Gundy refuses to stop criticizing the Chicago Bulls. During an ESPN conference call on Monday, Van Gundy took the organization to task for the way it fired Tom Thibodeau, saying a statement released by owner Jerry Reinsdorf "reeked of a lack of class."
Van Gundy is a close friend and mentor of Thibodeau’s and had expressed concerns about how the front office was treating the then-Bulls coach during a January broadcast. He said the Bulls’ brass had “publicly supported their coach, while privately, oftentimes undermined that same person.”
Gar Forman confronted Van Gundy after the game and the two reportedly exchanged insults.
During another broadcast, Van Gundy took a shot at John Paxson, who had said the former New York Knicks and Houston Rockets coach owed Reinsdorf an apology. Van Gundy said "[Paxson] was so mad at me I thought I had traded LaMarcus Aldridge for Tyrus Thomas and not him."
The two incidents played a part in destroying the relationship between the front office a especially Reinsdorf and Thibodeau, who they suspected had asked Van Gundy to speak on his behalf.
Van Gundy clearly has a problem with the way the Bulls have dealt with coaches in the past and has the platform to air his grievances. The Bulls made the firing of Thibodeau uglier than it needed to be and now they are getting the public relationship hit they should have tried to avoid. It wouldn’t be surprising if others soon join Van Gundy in chastising an organization that has alienated even its most successful coaches.
★★★
SB Nation presents: The 3-pointer has gone from novelty to necessary
See More:
