Getty Kyle Korver, Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose huddle up with head coach Tom Thibodeau during a 2011 game between the Chicago Bulls and the Atlanta Hawks.
The Chicago Bulls welcomed a pair of old friends back to the United Center on Wednesday in Derrick Rose and Tom Thibodeau, both of whom were there to ply their trade for the New York Knicks. Needless to say, that reunion ended up being far sweeter for the former Bulls than the current ones.
Despite getting a combined 57 points from DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, the Windy City crew fell short in overtime against New York by a 128-120 score. It was the Bulls’ fifth loss in seven games and their second in a row to come in OT.
As if that weren’t enough, Bulls Nation didn’t even get a chance to see Rose strutting his stuff on the floor. Instead, the three-time All-Star rode the pine for the fifth straight game (more on that later).
The night wasn’t a total bust for fans of the Rose-era Bulls, though. During Thibodeau’s pre-game media availability, another member of the old squad — Joakim Noah — turned up to roast his old coach in a hilarious fashion.
Noah Asks Thibodeau a Hard-Hitting Question
Joakim Noah crashed Thibs’ presser 😂
“I have a question! … How’re you gonna come to [Derrick Rose’s] wedding and not mine?”
As Thibodeau was wrapping up his pre-game press conference and a last call for questions was put out, Noah made the decision to put his reporter hat on and grill his old coach about a personal matter.
“I have a question,” Noah declared, prompting an “Oh geez” response from Thibodeau. The 2014 NBA Defensive Player of the Year then tossed out a question that left Thibs searching for words.
“So are you going to go to Derrick [Rose’s] wedding, and you’re not going to come to mine?” Noah deadpanned.
After pausing for a beat, Thibodeau fired back with “Next question!” before rising from his seat and embracing Noah on his way out. Noah could be heard off-mic saying that he was there to show the Knicks play-caller “some love.” Between that and Thibs’ crew beating the Bulls, though, the old faves seemingly have a funny way of showing love.
Rose Finding Piece Amid His Changing Role
Given what Rose meant to the Knicks during their 2021 playoff run, it’s hard to fathom that he now finds himself out of Thibodeau’s rotation entirely. Alas, New York has yet to lose a game since the baller was put on the shelf. And as long as that continues to be the case, Rose is OK with it.
“If we were losing, probably, [I would think about a trade]. But I like winning. I’m a winner,” Rose said, via the New York Post.
For the year, Rose is averaging 6.4 points, 2.0 assists and 1.8 rebounds in 13.6 minutes per game. He may not be the MVP anymore, or even the guy that has been a bench sparkplug in recent years, but he clearly still has something to offer on the court.
More recently, though, he has been more focused on finding ways to contribute without having to set foot on the hardwood.
“Just trying to figure out how I can add more to the team without being out there,” Rose said. “It’s being more vocal, expressing how I feel. Asking about coverages to help the young guys. Just lead by example.”