Bulls fired Fred Hoiberg, now what? A player's perspective

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On Monday evening, all the Bulls players were sitting in their hotel room in Indianapolis processing the news that their coach, Fred Hoiberg, was fired. Those that truly care, are asking themselves “how was I responsible for this?” Those that don’t are telling themselves “this was bound to happen, it’s for the best.”

I remember sitting on a bus in Phoenix, Arizona, a day after a loss. It was my second season with the Spurs and the team had come across some hard times. Numerous players had been injured, most notably David Robinson and Sean Elliott. 

I looked at my watch and realized it was a few minutes passed 10 am, when the bus was supposed to leave for practice but Bob Hill and his staff were missing from their seats. We NEVER left late. Eventually, the assistants exited the hotel and got on the bus. Sans Bob Hill. They all sat down and were unusually quiet. 

Next entered Gregg Popovich, the general manager of the Spurs at the time. He was brief and to the point. “Unfortunately, I had to let Bob Hill go,” he said. “I’ll be taking over as head coach.” That’s all he said. Popovich sat in his seat and the bus left to head towards the Suns arena for practice. 

What I saw from John Paxson during the Bulls’ press conference was a vivid reminder of what Popovich said to us after only 18 games into the season. Pop, just like Pax, talked about his disappointment in the team’s effort, the team’s energy, the team’s lack of aggression, and the overall acceptance of losing. 

Pop told us that behavior would no longer be accepted by the organization. We needed to be more passionate about the outcome and care more about the Spurs name on the front of our jersey. From that point forward, the expectations of us as players had changed. For the rest of the season, the success of the team was not measured by wins or losses, but on the effort that was exerted during practices and games, and how we competed in a team setting, regardless of opponent. 

I remember Pop getting mad as us for celebrating after a win because we hadn’t actually won the game, the opponent simply lost the game. To win the game would have meant we out played the opponent, with skill and strategy. That wasn’t the case. They just made less shots. It was a stern reminder of the precise vision that Pop had for the Spurs organization. It was a long year, as we finished the season at 20-62. Numerous games we had only eight players dress because of ongoing injuries. 

Despite adversities, I can assure you, the culture of the organization changed and the direction of the future was set. Some may have focused on the 62 losses, but Pop assured us that the work we were doing was setting the foundation for the future. In 1999, two seasons later, we won the first of the Spurs’ five championships. 

As Jim Boylen, the new head coach of the Bulls, meets with each player individually, he says his plan is to explain the player’s role with the team and his expectations of them moving forward. 

Of the players that are currently on this Bulls roster, I would imagine that only Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen, and Wendell Carter Jr. have a secure future moving forward. For everyone else, they should be asking themselves “what can I do to prove that I belong? What can I do to prove that I not only want to be here in the future, but will be an asset to the team? What can I do to prove to the organization that I have the discipline, the competitiveness, the aggression, and the passion to help develop the culture of the team?” Much like I was that season with the Spurs.

It seems to be a consensus that change is difficult. For athletes, it’s just as hard. Believe me, most of these players are wondering what the immediate future holds for them.

I was fortunate to have had Pop as my head coach. His brutal honesty and candor helped further develop me as a player. Jim Boylen has coached under Pop. He mentioned during Monday’s press conference that he plans to be a “more passionate in game coach.” 

Will these players be as fortunate as I was, and be willing and able to adapt to this new style of coaching; which is closer to Tom Thibodeau than Fred Hoiberg? It’s not going to be easy. Some nights a player may have to bite his tongue as he’s getting yelled at because of a poor performance. Another night this same player will be praised because of his improvements. 

It’s no longer about I, but we. It’s time for a new beginning. It starts with the Pacers. 

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