Richard Hamilton: When I played for Bulls, another coach warned me about Randy Brown

Jimmy Butler and other Bulls players are reportedly concerned about coaches, Randy Brown in particular, “spying” on them for the front office.

Richard Hamilton, who played for Chicago from 2011-13, sheds light on the dynamic.

Hamilton, via CBSSports.com:

I know that, me being in Chicago, me being the first year there and being in film session and one of the coaches, assistant coaches, spits out, “Randy has nothing to do with this team. He doesn’t need to be around the players.” Looked at every man that was in that film session and pretty much told them, “Hey, don’t listen to him. When he comes and talks to you, don’t listen to him.” And for me, as a veteran guy just coming from Detroit, I was like, “What is going on around here?” Because every conversation I had with Randy was always good, was always love. So it’s kind of like a situation where, man, I don’t know what’s going on between management and the coaches.

Brown has held a variety of roles with the Bulls -- player, director of player development, special assistant to the general manager (his job when Hamilton was in Chicago), assistant general manager and now assistant coach.

Again, Brown or any coach talking to management about what he observes is not necessarily “spying.” It’s often productive collaboration.

This would be a problem only if a coach promises a player his words will be kept in confidence and then violates that trust. Is anyone alleging that with Brown?

There was a clear rift between general manager Gar Forman and Tom Thibodeau, who coached the Bulls when Hamilton was there, and this is another example of that fracture.

An assistant coach badmouthing an executive like that isn’t healthy. A lingering distrust felt by players isn’t healthy.

However Brown actually operates, the Bulls must address the culture that makes him a target.