Tom Thibodeau opens up about the Derrick Rose recruiting act – NBA Update
Derrick Rose would not recruit anyone – that was the line towed by the man himself for the last few years.
The situation has however changed; it did when Kirk Hinrich was acquired by the Chicago Bulls this off season.
Rose recently revealed that he has part to play in the hiring of Hinrich, whom he branded as relentless fighter. And this change in approach has pleased Tom Thibodeau, the Bulls coach;
"I think it's important," Thibodeau said. "They've been friends for a long time. They have a lot of respect for each other so I think it was important to Kirk. But I also think Derrick's leadership has really grown. He's gotten
more comfortable, he's been here a long time now. I think he felt it was the natural thing to do."
The trend of recruiting has picked up pace in the last few years and it has perhaps been the main reason behind the formation of star studded teams like Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers. It is an open secret that Dwyane Wade was
pivotal is luring both LeBron James to the South Beach two seasons back.
Steve Nash talked in detail to Kobe Bryant before requesting a sign and trade deal with his former franchise, Phoenix Suns. It is also believed that Kevin Durant is playing a major role in Oklahoma City Thunder’s bid to retain
their star shooting guard James Harden and as such, the role of superstars has expanded beyond the playing field in today’s NBA.
With Bulls definitely needing another superstar on the roster, and the summer of 2014 - time when the Bulls can rid themselves of swollen Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng contracts - not far away, Rose’s effort to lobby for Hinrich
is a good dry run.
And it was not that Rose did the job badly. Hinrich praised the way the former MVP handled the situation;
"It was really pretty casual," Hinrich said. "I had some questions for him. He just expressed how he'd be excited if it worked out that I came back. He thought I could really help and be a good fit so it was pretty casual like
that."
What remains to be seen though is whether Hinrich succeeds in carrying the team till the time D-Rose returns from his rehab.
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