Bulls' Thibodeau enjoyed the good life in Spain
Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau doesn't tell many jokes during his pregame media sessions, but this softball couldn't have been better placed in his wheelhouse.
Before Monday's preseason opener against Washington, Thibodeau was asked if he had enough time to relax in the summer, considering he was on the Team USA coaching staff for the FIBA World Cup.
"What else would you want to be doing?" Thibodeau said with a smile. "Basketball every day, a nice restaurant in Spain every night. Study film 'til 4 in the morning. We were laughing (about how great we had it)."
Anyone who knows anything about Thibodeau buys every word of that statement.
"It's great. I knew it was coming," Thibodeau added. "It was August and September. August is usually your downtime, so it was an opportunity to do something else and I think that was good. I know I enjoyed it, thought it was very beneficial.
"Of course, having Derrick (Rose) there too was very helpful for me in terms of preparation for the season, so there were a lot of positives about it."
Asked if he'd like to be head coach of the national team someday, Thibodeau said he had no intention of pushing Mike Krzyzewski off the lead chair.
"I enjoyed it. I'm an assistant coach, and it was fine," he said.
Tough cuts for Team USA:
Speaking of Team USA, there could be some blowback when the Bulls face Washington during the regular season. Wizards guards John Wall and Bradley Beal both were in camp and cut early in the process.
According to The Washington Post, Wall keeps a list of perceived slights and insults on his phone to read for inspiration. There's probably a good chance getting cut from Team USA made Wall's list and Tom Thibodeau was part of the coaching staff, even if he refused to accept any blame Monday.
"The one thing I will say, (USA Basketball president) Jerry Colangelo and (head coach) Mike (Krzyzewski) take that very seriously," Thibodeau said. "Ultimately, they make those decisions.
"That was my first experience with them and being on the inside. They're all about being fair and doing what's right. I witnessed it first hand.
"John and Bradley are terrific players. They were very close (to making the squad). You certainly could have made a case and you would have been right. In that setting, it's unfortunate you can't keep them all."
TV money talks:
The NBA announced a new television deal with ESPN and Turner on Monday, worth a reported $2.7 billion per year, nearly three times the amount of the old deal.
Needless to say, most NBA players and personnel will be due for a raise soon.
"It's great for our league. I think it speaks volumes to what's been going on for a long time," Tom Thibodeau said. "I think it's great leadership right from the top, from our commissioner, our owners and of course our great players.
"I may be biased, but I think we have the greatest sport. It's a great partnership we have with TV. So it's great for the league. It's great for everybody."