Thibodeau’s father instilled love of basketball from an early age
Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t say much about the death of his father, Thomas Sr., at 83.
Thibodeau told reporters that he coached Monday’s game in Memphis after attending the funeral that afternoon in Connecticut because his father would have wanted it that way.
Shortly after taking the Bulls job, Thibodeau talked to the Daily Herald about how his father helped create his love of basketball.
His father attended St. Bonaventure and took Tom to several games during the Bob Lanier era, which lasted from 1967-70.
“At one of those games, I got a chance to meet Bob Lanier,” Thibodeau recalled. “When you’re a small child and you’re looking up to this huge 7-footer ... he was just a fabulous guy on top of being a great player.”
Another St. Bonaventure connection was Eddie Donovan, who was coach and general manager of the New York Knicks during the 1960s. Therefore, the Thibodeau family became Knicks fans. Tom placed his first trip to a Knicks game in the old Madison Square Garden at around 1965.
“I was just in awe,” Thibodeau said. “I grew up in Connecticut, so it was my first time in New York City and I was probably 5 or 6 years old. Just seeing all the big buildings and getting into the arena and just seeing these great players and the atmosphere — it was so much fun.”
Bulls players didn’t seem particularly surprised that Thibodeau returned for Monday’s game.
“He lives for this,” Kirk Hinrich told reporters after the game. “I think that’s what we appreciate the most — is just the effort and the time that he puts into it.”
Bounce back for Butler:After Monday#146;s win at Memphis, coach Tom Thibodeau talked about how Jimmy Butler went from barely able to walk after Saturday#146;s loss to Dallas, to scoring 26 points against the Grizzlies.#147;I think he#146;s a mentally tough kid,#148; Thibodeau said. #147;He had a day to gather himself, then he got right back in there and he was attacking. He#146;s at his best when he#146;s attacking at both ends. He#146;s had a few bumps this season but he#146;ll keep grinding. When you put the work into it good things happen.#148;Butler gave his own reasons for the bounce-back performance.#147;I sat down with a few of the vets, and they just talked to me and told me to play my game and have fun,#148; Butler told reporters in Memphis. #147;When you have fun, everything else takes care of itself.#148;Johnson loving Memphis:Former Bulls first-round pick James Johnson is playing well for Memphis, after struggling to find a home with the Bulls, Toronto or Sacramento. He had some interesting comments on Monday about his new home.#147;Man, I love Memphis,#148; Johnson said, according to csnchicago.com. #147;I feel like this team right here really helped me become who I want to be. They let me do it all. They let me shoot. They let me rebound. They let me push the ball.#147;I#146;m just thankful that God put (Memphis coach Dave Joerger) in my path because he#146;s not holding me back. He#146;s not telling me, #145;Don#146;t do this, don#146;t do that.#146; He#146;s telling me to go get it and play within my game, and if you#146;re as confident as I am, then you feel like you can pretty much do everything.#148;