Today’s Free Agent Watch post about LeBron James indicated that a small handful of NBA GMs think that John Calipari will be the next coach of the Chicago Bulls. Apparently, that comes as something of a surprise to…John Calipari.
From the ESPN NBA Rumors page:
“Now that the Cavs are officially out of the playoffs and LeBron James’ future — one that seemed tied to Cleveland before the playoffs began — reportedly leaning toward the Bulls, Kentucky’s John Calipari again comes into focus. Speculation is that if the Bulls hire Calipari — who has a good relationship with him and shares a friend in William ‘Wordwide’ Wesley — the signing would increase the Bulls’ chances of landing the King. But Calipari took to Twitter on Friday morning to try and squash said rumors. He tweeted: ‘I want to address this with the Big Blue Nation one last time, I will be coaching at Kentucky next year. Now let’s finish what we started!’ Cal has denied interest and said he’s happy at Kentucky previously when his name has surfaced for the Bulls.”
What’s more, as far as anyone knows, “there has been no contact from any NBA team toward Calipari.”
And there you have it. I suppose it’s still possibly that Calipari might end up coaching in the NBA next season — everybody has a price. However, I still don’t see him coaching in Chicago. But we’ll see.
Last summer he said he was gonna be at Memphis until he retired and a week later he was announced as the coach of Kentucky. I hope he stays cause as a NBA coach his record speaks for itself. But if Lebron wants him then get him I guess. That is the only way I would be happy with him coaching the Bulls.
The only college coach I would want is Wooden. Coach Cal can keep scamming schools until he is indicted for it.
Wooden quote for James, “Don’t measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.”
assuming lebron comes
i just hope bulls get a coach that has enough balls to actually coach lebron and not let lebron coach
if you let players coach see clevand and mike brown
Bringing in LeBron without a very strong, experienced coach, would likely be a disaster. The Cavaliers are an object lesson of what happens when a superstar with an outsized ego dominates a team. Mike Brown has always been a bad coach, and Doc Rivers predictably exposed him as such in humiliating fashion.
Frankly, if the Bulls don’t hire a strong, experienced NBA coach, I’d rather have Bosh than LeBron.
Tony C Does a coach exist that you do actually like? You seem to always have strong opinion about coaches being bad. I’m not talking trash, I was just curious who you actually like in this league?
“I was just curious who you actually like in this league?”
Rivers, Sloan, Popvich, Skiles, and (Stan) van Gundy are all excellent. By which I mean that they get their teams to play at, or above their potential. I suppose that Jackson falls into the same category, but of course he has had something of an embarrassment of riches.
I’d have no problem with either Rick Adelman or George Karl, either.
I do have strong opinions about VDN, as it was obvious that he was a bad coach, even taking his inexperience into account. Good riddance.
As for Calipari, he has essentially cheated his way to great success in college, though is hardly the only one, and that doesn’t preclude him from being a decent coach. But much like Pitino, I would have zero confidence in him as an NBA coach.
My comment above is more of a shot at LeBron, who has been wildly overrated throughout his career. Not to say that he isn’t an immensely talented player, but if he is ever going to win championships, it will be for a strong and high-quality coach, in the context of a true TEAM, not a group of players revolving around his orbit.
There’s a reason why Jordan, Kobe and Garnett didn’t win championships until those criteria were met.
The question is….Who is going to be the *next* excellent coach?
Of the old guard who are available, I like Mo Cheeks.
Tony you make good points. I also think that all those coaches are great but they also have players that buy into the system and want to play team basketball. The X’s and O’s are great but the players have to be willing to execute them. I think the thing that what would be beneficial to Lebron more than anything is that The Bulls are a team of strong character and guys hungry to win. I don’t think he has ever played with guys that put in the work or had the desire to be special. I would hope he could feed off that and become a little more humble and just put his head down and go to work. I think in New York or New Jersey/Brooklyn would be the worst thing for his Ego.
Yeah, I wouldn’t believe a word of Calipari is saying, he talks out of his ass..and besides we haven’t gotten James yet..so no reason to committ yet 😉
And I’m kinda with ya Tony C…I don’t want a coach who’s just gonna let the players decide on things and be in control. I would kinda lean towards Jeff Van Gundy, he seems like he’d be in control and not let LeBron run things..or Avery Johnson would be good as well I think. Just not Lawrence Frank..he wouldn’t get my respect let alone NBA players.
Who care! let go after Byron Scott! as the Bull new head coach
sadly, coaching is a lost art of the nba. 1 n done coaches win the award every year, and the teams are now led by a superstar player, not by actual coaching. you’re really gonna try to tell me that jackson and sloan aren’t the best coaches of our generation? stupid. it’s the evolution of the game MJ created. good bye sports, hello marketing
I’m all for Mo Cheeks… Chicago guy who did a pretty good job in early 2000s with keeping the jailblazers focused.
I’m not sure about all this LeBron talk. I mean, I would love to have multiple championships, but if I got to choose between winning them with Lebron or a combination of lesser stars, I would choose the latter…
I know all the hype around LeBron, but why doesn’t anyone put any of the cavs’ playoff burn-outs on his shoulders? He has been the star on that team, it’s his job to come up big and get the other guys going. At this point, for all we know he is the next Karl Malone/Dirk Nowitzki: loads of talent, great regular season, nothing to show for it…
LeBron will sign with a title-winning tradition like the Bulls if he truly wants to win NBA titles of course,he will stay in Cleveland if he wants to be heartbroken every season and if he has zero interest in winning at all,then Bulls fans know he will sign with new york or new jersey because they are new york and new jersey and another thing they have zero expectations and hope of ever even winning in sports,while expectations have always been totally higher in the windy city where coaches go if they don’t win over there especially with these Bulls,totally similiar to those Cowboys in the BIG D.But we Bulls fans will be totally patient and let LeBron think about whether or not he will sign with the Bulls.We Bulls fans are totally awaiting LeBron and I’m sure he is totally awaiting the windy city in order to win NBA titles,but we will let him decide.GO BULLS.
Calipari did a good job in his 1st year at New Jersey, his 2nd year the team suffered injuries to key players and he was fired. I don’t know how ethical he is at the college level, but that is not an issue at the pro level. With a solid base of talented players he could win at the pro level. I think that Bulls management will wait until FA and the LeBron situation is resolved before deciding on a head coach. If LeBron does come to Chicago, I believe that Calipari will come to the Bulls. If Chicago does not sign LeBron then they will evaluate who is still available and possibly make another interim head coach selection. I fear that but it is a strong possibility. I believe that would be the last straw for Pax, and Gar could end up being the head of basketball operations.
I’m not at all convinced by Calipari’s short stint in NJ. Furthermore, he took a ton of sh*t for his move to KY, and I rather doubt that he wants to alienate yet another major university at this point.
I’d much prefer, to use one example, Byron Scott if LeBron came to the Bulls, as he would command respect as a former player and solid coach.
Some assume that if LeBron comes to the Bulls, then any decent coach will be able to win championships. I consider that to be naïve.
@Bobbinbob –
I would hope that Pax and Gar have a successfull offseason – if not then the Bulls need to look for better management. If they can’t do something to put the Bulls in a position to be a top 10 team in the NBA, then they need to realize that they are hindering the organization.
Tony C,
I like your list of coaches, but I have to disagree as to why they’re good coaches. None of those coaches have led an overachieving team. Their teams were among the league’s elite (except Skiles, of course), when, and only when, they rosters included elite talent. Period.
That said, they’ve all had success because their elite talent bought into their DEFENSE-first approach. And, I think LeBron is dying for the opportunity to do that. Mike Brown is actually more of a defense oriented coach, but the talent they paid top dollar for can’t defend (except LBJ). I’m hoping LBJ is holding that grudge against the Cavs, packs his bags, and comes to the Chi to play for Tom Thibodeau.
Nobody knows better than LeBron just how effect his (TT’s) teams can be on the defensive end of the floor. I would even be (slightly) interested in seeing Lu’s limbs put to work by TT. Imagine how fast LBJ and D. Rose could turn stops into points…scary!
Scott is one of the few names I have heard that I feel could help improve the play of the Bulls. I am not sure he will be available when the Bulls are ready to hire a coach. Personnally, I would make Scott an offer now. While Calipari has a connection to both Rose and LeBron, I am not sure the reast of the team or league would have respect for him with the baggage he carries from his college career.
Scott?
He’s rumored to not be one the harder working coaches in the NBA when he was with NO.
Yah! lets get Byron Scott as the bulls new head coach….
I’m just Curious DJ. Why do you think Byron Scott is a good fit? What about his coaching style do you see beneficial to the Bulls? I’m not talking shit I’m just curious.
@ Max
Byron Scott: is a lovable coach to players, he coach great PG’s like: CP3 & Jason Kidd and his style of play revolves around PG’s controlling the temple. (Hint: he will help D. Rose take his game to the next level by making everybody else better.)
Why? who do you like?
Byron Scott would be fine with me but In a perfect world Doc Rivers or Phil Jackson, but I know that will not happen.
In that part I agree with you about the coaches, just like LB will not happen as well! lol
Hopefully, Byron Scott will still be available when the Bulls are ready to sign a coach. If the Bulls do not make a big splash in FA (LeBron or Wade) then we may be looking at an experiment for head coach. Sort of like Phil Jackson when Collins left (was fired). While it was true that Jackson was already on the staff he had no NBA head coaching experience. He had success in the CBA and Pueto Rican leagues, but his only NBA experience came from the Bulls as an asst.
I agree…….
I can guarantee anyone this Bulls team will win multiple NBA titles,since Jordan and Pippen left the windy city, especially with LeBron in the mix, hey this Bulls team will turn LeBron into a multiple-title-winning superstar after all that heartbreak he has experienced since he started his Cleveland career.Another thing I know is Chicago will return to their 90’s glory, oh yes, that greatness they once had when Jordan and Pippen were in the city,so this is a two-part conversation speaking of the Bulls and LeBron.GO BULLS.
@ bull4ever,
I can see that happen as well, if the Bulls can also add quality talented players around James and Rose like Bosh or Lee in the mix, then they will be able to win multiple NBA titles.
Lebron James can’t just do it all himself, he needs good talented players around him, for him to reach his goals and we already saw that with Cleveland. lol
Bulls4ever,
I tend to agree with you, the Bulls are headed in the right direction. They have a solid core of players and with the right elements added could be contenders next year and serious contenders for years to come. The starting lineup during the 1st 3-peat had 3 players obtained through the draft (Jordan, Pippen & Grant), 1 player obtained in a trade (Cartwright/Knicks) and 1 FA (Paxson/Spurs). We need to have patience and let management do their job. We do not want to pressure them into another Wallace situation. The Bulls have 2 potential all-stars in Rose and Noah, 2 solid starters/sixth men in Deng and Hinrich. A developing potential solid starter in Gibson and a glimmer of potential in James Johnson. There are only two players worth “max” contracts in this FA class, LeBron and Wade. All the other “big” names are not worth “max” contracts in my humble opinion. Someone will pay them “max” contracts but I hope it is not the Bulls. Once the draft is over, then the Bulls can mine FA for the remaining pieces to the Bulls puzzle, keeping in mind that team/help defense is equally important to offense when the goal is a championship.
Only tiempo will tell guys…..