Give Tom Thibodeau credit: He refuses to take any other path besides the high road.
Thibodeau and the Bulls parted last season under somewhat-contentious circumstances.
Under Thibs' reign, the Bulls were 255-139 (a .647 winning percentage) in the regular season and made the playoffs all five years.
A lack of success in the playoffs (23-28) was one of the knocks on Thibodeau, but now the Bulls need a miracle to even make the postseason under new head coach Fred Hoiberg.
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When asked about it on ESPN, Thibodeau refused to take a shot at his former team, Hoiberg or the Bulls roster.
On reasons why the Bulls won't make the playoffs:
NBA
"I think at the beginning of the season when Joakim Noah got injured, that was a big hit for the team. And then I also think the East has gotten a lot better.
"When you look at teams like Charlotte, Detroit, Orlando got off to a very fast start. I think it's harder to get wins in the East.
"When you combine the injuries with the improvement of the other teams, it made it tougher. You know, obviously Derrick Rose being injured at the beginning of the season was also a hit, but he's played very well since January, I think. He's really moved along well. Of course [Jimmy] Butler has been terrific all season, as has [Pau] Gasol."
On Rose's future:
"I think it's going to be very bright. This was an important year for him. He's going to end up playing around 70 games and I think that's the most in almost three years, if you combine the last three years. So that's a big improvement for him."
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On Rose's confidence and training in the summer with Butler:
"I think regaining confidence in his body, and it sounds like he's going to put a lot of work in this summer.
"I think it's a good idea to spend some time with Jimmy [Butler] and prepare themselves for next season."