When Derrick Rose revived his NBA career, Tom Thibodeau was the biggest voice in his corner.
“He was the only coach that believed in me,” Rose said.
Two years since Thibodeau helped the former MVP regained his footing in the league, he now faces another reclamation project in New York with Dennis Smith, Jr. and Frank Ntilikina.
If Kenny Payne has built a reputation as a big man’s whisperer in Kentucky, Thibodeau had the same effect on point guards since he became a head coach in Chicago.
Thibodeau made Rose the youngest MVP in league history in 2011.