The Bulls are recovering from a PR crisis, after a very eventful week. Unhappy with critical comments made by Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler, Rajon Rondo posted a now-infamous Instagram rant, in which he cited the team’s “leadership” as the source of blame for recent struggles. The team held a private meeting earlier today, but only time will tell how much longer the Wade-Butler-Rondo unit will remain intact.
Here’s the latest out of Chicago:
- Wade gave a measured response to Rondo’s critiques, refusing to retaliate in similar fashion. “I could take that as a personal attack,” Wade told reporters, including K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. “But what’s that going to do for me? Come in and fight Rajon because he said his vets practiced every day? I’m 35. I’m not practicing every day. That’s very clear. Everyone has their own things. My vets did different things too. They were very successful with what they did in Boston.” Johnson noted that even young players were allowed to speak their piece in the team meeting.
- It made no sense for Chicago to bring in Wade and Rondo on a one-year experiment, Dave Hyde of the Sun Sentinel writes. While the Bulls hold the eighth-seed in the Eastern Conference, the team’s chemistry looks to have reached its nadir.
- Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra shared his thoughts on the situation with Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. “Welcome to the NBA. That’s around every team. What I see is a team that’s in the eight spot right now. They have a very talented team. They have two players generating over 60 percent of their offense, one of them we know very well. That guy’s [Wade] a killer. They have 19 all-star appearances on that team. They have something we would love to be in right now, that’s that eight spot.”
- Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg and team GM Gar Forman noted their disappointment in the conduct of Wade, Butler, and Rondo. “It’s unacceptable to air your grievances through the media,” Hoiberg told reporters. “We talked about that in the very first meeting of the year. If you have issues, sit behind closed doors and talk about it, and we move forward and we get better because of it.” In a limited statement, Forman claimed to have dealt with the situation internally. Interestingly, Wade refused to address a question regarding Hoiberg’s control over the locker room.
- Steve Rosenbloom of the Chicago Tribune wondered aloud how Forman and John Paxson can keep their jobs as the team disintegrates.
What’s up with players hellbent on destroying their teams in Chicago? First Chris Sale’s toxicity, then Aroldis Chapman’s kick in the gut on his way back to NY, now this nonsense. Even the Bears are having issues. Seriously, what is going on?
Dwade is a 3 time champion the best player in NBA defensive and offensively he know wat it takes
For those numbs in Chicago to win rondo only have one title so I’m listening to wade county
I’m sure the coaches have discuss this same issue in the locker room before it cam out publicly
Wade isn’t even the best player on his own team let alone the whole NBA.
I can assure you, anything Chapman said, hasn’t affected the Cubs at all.
I’m not sure what’s going on there. I can understand the Reinsdorfs teams being in disarray since there’s no leadership in the front offices and there’s no accountability. Jerry must be incoherent because I don’t believe he’d let these two teams continue to sink.
He’s too busy counting his shekels to notice that anything is wrong. You’d have to hit his dopey rear end with a baseball bat to wake him up.
I think he’s in a coma living in a home.
No need to ever link to a Rosenbloom rant on this site. Who HASNT wondered aloud how much longer garpax will be around?!