Hoiberg gets ‘dream’ job as Bulls coach
THE SPORTS XCHANGE
CHICAGO — Even as a highly successful basketball coach at Iowa State, Fred Hoiberg didn’t spend all of his off-thecourt time thinking about future college opponents.
Instead, he loved to watch the pros at work.
“On off nights after I get my scouting work done on our next opponent, I would watch NBA games. I didn’t watch college games,” said Hoiberg, introduced Tuesday as the Chicago Bulls’ 19th head coach. “I always tried to pick the brains of the best minds in the world and that’s in the NBA.”
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Hoiberg, who played 10 NBA seasons and spent four years as a Minnesota Timberwolves executive, returns to the league after a five-year run as Cyclones coach.
“This has always been my dream,” the 42-year-old Iowa native said during an introduction at the Bulls’ Advocate Center training center. “This is my life goal — to get out and coach in the NBA.”
Hoiberg joins an organization that has had four head coaches since 2007.
Tom Thibodeau, Hoiberg’s immediate predecessor, was 276-167 in five seasons but was dismissed last week as relations with team executives broke down.
“In Fred, we feel strongly that we’ve got a guy with a skill package: a winning coach, a guy who’s a natural leader and a great, great communicator,” Bulls general manager Gar Forman said.
Hoiberg has been a rumored Bulls target for some time, but Forman said the sides didn’t start talking until last week and a deal wasn’t finalized until Monday.
Hoiberg reportedly agreed to a fiveyear deal worth just under $5 million.
Hoiberg has chatted with Thibodeau in the past and hopes they’ll talk again about a team that includes star guard Derrick Rose, rising star Jimmy Butler and established veterans like Pao Gasol, Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson.
■ WARRIORS — Golden State guard Klay Thompson completed the NBA’s concussion protocol and was cleared to play in the NBA Finals opener.
The Warriors open the best-of-7 series against the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James on Thursday night at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif.
Thompson suffered a concussion last week during a collision in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals against the Houston Rockets. He practiced for the second straight day with the Warriors in preparation for Thursday night’s game.
■ CONCUSSION PROTOCOL — NBA players’ union boss Michele Roberts opened an investigation into the league’s concussion protocol because she was “mortified” by the Warriors’ handling of the head injury evaluations of guards Steph Curry and Thompson in the Western Conference final.
Roberts told The Associated Press the Thompson head injury prompted her to move to hire neurologists on behalf of the players union to investigate changes necessary in the NBA protocol for head injuries.
Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, who oversees the NBA head-injury program, said the Warriors handled the evaluation of Curry and Thompson by the book.
■ KINGS — Sacramento forward Carl Landry had successful surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right wrist.
Landry is expected to be sidelined four to five months. He averaged 7.2 and 3.8 rebounds during this season.