Report: Bulls’ front office told players they could tune out Tom Thibodeau

The Chicago Bulls enjoyed decent success in five seasons under Tom Thibodeau, but the relationship between the former head coach and his players went south in a hurry. The team’s front office apparently did nothing to help that.

According to a report from Joe Crowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, members of the Bulls front office — specifically vice president of basketball operations John Paxson and general manager Gar Forman — gave players permission to “tune Thibodeau out” in training camp before the 2014-2015 season.

Paxson and Forman also reportedly sold players on the idea that players were getting injured because Thibodeau was not allowing enough rest. That’s something we heard Bulls players complain about throughout Thibodeau’s tenure in Chicago.

As Crowley notes, it has been difficult for current Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg to get many of the same players to follow his lead after they were told they could ignore their previous coach. That’s a tough hand to be dealt in your first NBA season.

When you take into consideration the way the Bulls smeared Thibodeau on his way out the door, it’s no surprise they essentially stripped him of his power before his final season with the team. But in doing so, they may have unintentionally created a permanent problem. Now Hoiberg is tasked with sorting it all out.