Bulls: Gar Forman

One year later, Rose injury still fresh

April, 28, 2013
Apr 28
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Derrick RoseJonathan Daniel/Getty ImagesIt's been one year since Derrick Rose tore his ACL, and for some it feels like it was yesterday.
It was a year ago, on April 28, 2012, when Derrick Rose suffered a knee injury that is still being felt by the organization, its fan base and the entire NBA.

There was 1:19 remaining in the fourth quarter of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals when Rose drove into the lane and jump-stopped. The grimace on his face was immediate as he tried to jump for a shot before crashing to the court holding his left knee.

The United Center fell silent as the worse was expected and later verified. Rose tore his ACL and would undergo surgery on May 12. The Bulls won Game 1 but would go on to lose to the eighth-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in six games.

The prognosis was for Rose to take 8-12 months to rehabilitate and the process seemed to be going according to plan as periodic reports reflected steady progress. From doing basketball drills to practicing to taking full contact to scrimmaging five-on-five starting on Feb.18, Rose appeared poised to return after the All-Star break.

But suddenly the possibility that he wouldn't return this season started to surface in stories and interviews, and now it appears almost certain he won't be back at all this season.

ESPNChicago.com's Nick Friedell talked to many of those who were present at the time of the injury, and here are their stories:

Joakim Noah

"I just remember being up like 20 points and thinking we were going to win the championship. Even when he went down, it was weird but in my mind I was like, 'He could be out for a couple weeks and we'll be alright. We'll be ready for him to come back.'

"I even remember after the game I went to the Berto Center to go get some ice and get some treatment, I never do that, I was just so into it and then when I heard the news ... it was just hard. You know how hard we work every day, so to see him go down like that was tough. Not just for us as players but for the whole city."

Noah It was a dark day. It was a dark day for us. We won that playoff game but Derrick getting hurt -- I'll probably remember that day for the rest of my life.

-- Joakim Noah
When you first saw him on the ground what were you thinking?

"I just wanted to be there. Any time one of my teammates goes down I just try to be there for them. I didn't know how bad it was going to be. My mindset was more on just finishing the game and seeing him after."

How did you find out?

"My uncle called me. I can't believe I remember all this."

What was it like when you saw him the next day?

"It was hard, man. It was hard. I don't even like talking about it to be honest with you.

"It was a dark day. It was a dark day for us. We won that playoff game but Derrick getting hurt -- I'll probably remember that day for the rest of my life."

Carlos Boozer

(Long pause) "Truthfully, it was just sad, man. I couldn't really believe it. I was hoping it wasn't that serious but it was. Seeing him cry in the locker room, that was tough because he knew what happened already. It was tough, man. It's tough to talk about."

Did you know when he went down?

"No, I didn't know. I was just hoping it wasn't that bad. Honestly, I thought it was his ankle or something and then I realized he said it was his knee, so I was just hoping it wasn't that bad to be honest."

What was that locker room like?

"It was depressing, man. It was one of the saddest locker rooms -- we just won the game -- and it was one of the saddest locker rooms I might have ever been in."

What was the next day like for you?

"Tough, man. We really just met for a couple minutes, walked through a couple things and got out of there because everybody was down still. It was kind of like a ... it was just depressing, man."

Doug Collins:

"I was right in front of our bench and I saw him come down awkwardly and I just knew what he did -- I saw the way his leg buckled -- because I had that injury. And so I knew immediately.

"... I knew he hurt his knee and I was very sad. Obviously, it changed the playoff picture in our favor. They also lost Noah in Game 3, but Derrick Rose is a shining star and a bright light in the NBA and we miss him. He plays the game the way you're supposed to play it every night. He plays to win. He's a hometown kid who loves being in Chicago and representing his city. He's got a great family. And I'm one of these guys, I want to see the best players on the floor and so I hope he's going to be healthy soon and get back out there. Will that affect us? Yeah. But that kid needs to be out there playing basketball. He's special."

Taj Gibson:

"I remember it like it was yesterday. He was in the game, we talked about the game scheme, drew up a play for him to break down the defense and probably get a running hook, running floater -- he went down the lane, got a running floater, and just came down wrong. I was hoping it wasn't even his knee. I thought it was his ankle. He always had bad ankle problems, but he hurt his knee. We got a great win but the look on everybody's face wasn't even happy about the win. We were more like hoping that he's OK. You never want to see a teammate go out like that. But just the reaction when we got the news ... most of the guys just ran in the training room and we went into the training room and you didn't see him but we saw him come out with that disappointment look on his face it was surreal and we knew that it was something serious. That's what I remember the most."

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Derrick Rose
Jonathan Daniel/Getty ImagesWhen Gar Forman saw Derrick Rose didn't collide with anyone before hitting the court, he knew it was bad.
"I just remember his face when he came out of the X-ray room and everybody was just shaking their head. It was like one of those scenes -- you're there but you don't know what's going on, but you know something was bad happening. It was one of those reactions, the whole locker room was just quiet, we heard people moving around but you hardly heard people say anything. That was crazy."

What was it like the next day?

"The next day was mellow. It was like you come in, it was quiet, real mellow and quiet. The only thing you mostly heard was the basketball. Guys just came in there and we got the news about how he was and it was cool because guys understood what they had to do but at the same time we really didn't understand like, 'What's the gameplan now?' How we got to adjust, we got to draw up different plays, we got to do different things like that. But guys were still like, 'Damn.' At the same time they were like, 'What could we have done differently? Maybe the second unit could have played a little harder, we wouldn't have had to worry about putting him back in the game.'"

"It was just a lot of stuff going on but then he was like, 'You got to man up. You got to get ready for the next game.' Things like this happen every day. But it was just tough because you go through a whole year of ups and downs, ups and downs, ups and downs, and get another blow like that to your teammate, you're like, 'Wow,' that was crazy. "


Sixers guard -- and Chicago native -- Evan Turner

"I think as big an icon as D-Rose has been to basketball and in the NBA and in Chicago, you're talking about a kid that's always been admired ... I root for every Chicago kid because you're putting on for the city and you inspire the younger kids coming up, (the injury) is traumatizing to a community. Chicago is on his back so you see him go down definitely is horrible because he's a pro's pro. You like watching him, you like seeing what he does, performing, so that was hard to watch, too."

What do you remember from that moment?

"I just thought he pulled a muscle because he didn't really react. I hear when people tear an ACL they start screaming and stuff. He didn't react or anything so I said he probably just caught a cramp because he's been playing off and on and that was it. I just figured nothing bad had happened, he never really got hurt before and then when it came out he tore his ACL, I was shocked because he didn't have any reaction."

John Paxson

"What I remember was there was excitement about the playoffs starting and us feeling that we had put ourselves in a position to make a run. And then we're sitting there just a short time away from winning Game 1 and knowing that every playoff game, that's the most important game you play, so we were going to have a 1-0 advantage.

"And then watching Derrick go down -- from that moment on I was just kind of numb -- because you knew it was bad when you saw him on the floor. And then the rest of the day was going to the hospital, staying with him and around him, and understanding that it was bad. And it was hard not to think about what that meant for our basketball team, but numb's the word to describe how I felt that day."

Gar Forman

"I remember when he first went down, because he had had several injuries during the year I thought ... I didn't have a good angle so I initially thought he had landed on someone's foot or sprained an ankle, I couldn't see that there was no one around. But then when I saw it on the TV, because we have a TV where we sit, then it was scary seeing him go down with nobody around. And then I just remember leaving the hospital and driving home and it just felt numb. That was about it."

Forman: No setback in Rose rehab

March, 27, 2013
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Chicago Bulls general manager Gar Forman said Wednesday that Derrick Rose has not had a setback in his rehab from ACL surgery and maintained Rose will return when he is ready to play.

"We said (after his May 12 surgery) that it was going to be an 8-12 month window for him to get back to 100 percent," Forman said on Comcast SportsNet Chicago. "We're right within that window now. He's doing fine. There has never been any type of setback. He continues to make progress which is very encouraging.

"Everything has been really positive. I know the fans have been real anxious, but from our standpoint and mostly from Derrick's standpoint, we want to make sure that he's 100 percent ready when he hits that floor."

Rose told reporters Wednesday morning that he would not make his season debut against the Miami Heat and said he still doesn't know when he will return with 13 games left in the regular season.

Rose has been medically cleared to play, a source told ESPNChicago.com on March 7, but he still wasn't confident dunking off his left leg.

Forman said the plan remains the same for Rose.

"Now we're at a period where it's day to day, week to week. ... we communicate all the time," Forman said. "I don't want to speculate looking ahead three to four weeks. When Derrick is ready to play, Derrick will play. That's been from the get-go what our stance has been."

Bulls GM pleased with Rose's progress

January, 7, 2013
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DEERFIELD, Ill. -- There is no public timetable for Derrick Rose's return, but as the Chicago Bulls like to remind people, he's working hard to make it happen.

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Derrick Rose
AP Photo/Arturo RodriguezEven injured, Derrick Rose is still acting like the Bulls' leader.
Rose, who has a good relationship with reporters, hasn't talked much since the team's training camp media day, but reporters continue to catch glimpses of Rose doing his rehab post-knee surgery and taking jump shots.

After shootaround ended Monday and the court was cleared of players, Rose worked out in the corner of the Berto Center gym, with strength and conditioning coach Erik Helland supervising. Rose ran back and forth in controlled bursts for nearly a half-hour before leaving the practice floor.

"We want him to stay focused on what he needs to do and stay on the process, step by step, which he's done," Bulls general manager Gar Forman said. "He's done a great job on his rehab and been really focused on what he needs to do."

Behind closed doors, Rose is participating in limited practice, going through "the dummy offense, close-out drills" and yes, "flying down the floor," Bulls guard Jimmy Butler said. He's also still acting as the team leader, including giving advice at halftime. Butler was optimistic that Rose will be back and ready to play this season.

"It's the spirited Derrick you see more, because he's so excited to be back out there with us," Butler said. "To be able to put on that practice jersey and just grind it out with us. You're seeing him smiling and you're seeing the stuff Derrick does, the floaters, the jumpers. You're just like, 'Damn, he's back.' Right where he left off, if not even better."

Forman said he doesn't worry watching Rose practice, because the process to get him this far has been so methodical.

"Every step in the process, we've been careful," Forman said. "We've tried not to skip steps. Once he's accomplished what we want him to accomplish, we go on to the next step."

So what is the next step? And most importantly, when will Rose return?

"When the time comes," Forman said. "We've tried not to look ahead and stay in the moment. ... That's what's best for him, and Tom [Thibodeau] does a great job with our team not looking ahead. We take it day by day, practice by practice, game by game."

Pax: Rose not cutting; return date 'foolish'

October, 30, 2012
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Chicago Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson said cutting is the next step in Derrick Rose's rehab from knee surgery, and declared it "foolish" for the team to set a return date.

Read the entire story.

Six Bulls questions heading into season

October, 1, 2012
10/01/12
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Derrick RoseAP Photo/Nam Y. HuhThe uncertainty about Derrick Rose's return -- and his game when he does -- will follow the Bulls all season.
CHICAGO -- Media day usually doubles as Derrick Rose photo day at the Berto Center. The former MVP, as usual, is the center of attention.

While each player and coach have their pictures taken and are asked by the media, it's Rose whom everyone wants a few seconds with. Rose is the center of the Bulls' universe -- a fact which becomes even clearer on days like media day.

Rose may still be in attendance Monday during the organization's annual media day but it won't be the same. With Rose working his way back from a torn ACL, the reality has changed for the foreseeable future and everyone within the organization knows it. They're trying to prepare for what's coming: A season full of uncertainty surrounding the most important piece of the organization.

With that in mind, let's take a look at a few of the biggest questions facing the Bulls as they head into the 2012-2013 season:

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Tom Thibodeau
Jonathan Daniel/Getty ImagesTom Thibodeau is still waiting for a contract extension.
1. When is Rose coming back?: It's the question nobody can answer. Rose said recently that he was feeling good and may even be a little ahead of schedule in rehab. It's a feeling shared by many close to him. But nobody knows when he's going to be on the floor again and when he does return if he will be the same kind of player he was before the injury. The guess has always been around eight to 12 months to return. Somewhere around February or March has always served as a reasonable timeframe, but no one knows, and it's the question that will hover around the Bulls all season until he come back.

2. Is Thibs getting a new deal?: The answer is probably yes, and it could happen soon. There is a sense of optimism among some in the organization that this deal could get done before the regular season begins. Thibodeau has quickly become one of the best coaches in the league and has earned a reputation as a hardworker. The fear among some around the team is that at some point players may get sick of his hard-charging message. But there is little question that Thibodeau has earned the extension of a top-tier coach. The longer the Bulls drag their feet on giving him the extension, the bigger distraction this will become.

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Bulls must keep Thibs at all costs

July, 27, 2012
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Tom ThibodeauDavid Banks/US PresswireThe Bulls have locked up Derrick Rose for years to come. Now they must do the same with coach Tom Thibodeau.

CHICAGO -- What is taking so long?

That's the question people throughout the NBA are asking as far as it pertains to a new contract for Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau.

Former New York Knicks and Houston Rockets head coach Jeff Van Gundy was the latest to chime in on the story Friday morning on ESPN 1000’s "Waddle & Silvy" show. Van Gundy noted that it was 'interesting' that Thibodeau, his close friend, and the Bulls had not come to a contract extension already.

During a summer in which the Bulls have already had to battle the perception that the organization is making financial calculations rather than basketball decisions -- the exact opposite philosophy of the summer blue print Bulls GM Gar Forman laid out on draft night -- Jerry Reinsdorf has the ability to fix at least one issue before it becomes an even bigger distraction over the next few months: Just pay Thibodeau already.

A lengthy contract standoff – particularly if it carries into next season, which, as of now, would be the final year of Thibodeau’s deal -- will only serve to sway the court of public opinion in Thibodeau’s corner. Whether the Bulls want to admit it, there is a general feeling amongst the fan base that the Bulls are cheap.

Forman could argue that the decisions he made in filling out the rest of his bench this summer have been basketball related, not financially driven. It would be a tough sell for Bulls fans given the success the unit formerly known as the “Bench Mob” had the past two years. Still, over time, he may be able to validate his point. What he won't be able to change is the perception that Reinsdorf doesn't want to spend in order to put the best staff in place if he can't re-sign Thibodeau.

Since his hiring two years ago, Thibodeau, a longtime NBA assistant, has become one of the best coaches in the league. In consecutive seasons, the Bulls have led the league in regular-season wins. Thibodeau, furthermore, was voted the coach of the year two years ago and was the runner-up last season.

His detractors will say that the Bulls only advanced to the Eastern Conference finals two years ago and couldn't make it out of the first round last season because of injuries to Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. The detractors would also tell you that Thibodeau is so demanding and hard charging that there is always a fear players could tune him out. Even if they don't tune him out, they could be so exhausted from the mental and physical grind that his players may not be playing at their peak come playoff time.

Having said that, I'd take my chances with Thibodeau as a coach every day. His record over the past two years speaks for itself. He maximizes the potential of his roster and gets the most out of his players. Are there times when guys get frustrated with him? Sure. Are there instances where fans should second guess some of his decisions? Absolutely. But more often than not, Thibodeau's players play hard for him almost every single night. They trust that he will put them in the best position to win and they know that no matter how hard they work they won't be able to put in the time that he does day in, day out. Player after player has a story about how they went in for extra shots one day at the Berto Center and the only other person in the facility late at night was Thibodeau.

It stands to reason that part of Reinsdorf's hesitation in giving Thibodeau a major extension is due to his previous dealings with former coach Scott Skiles. Like Thibodeau, Skiles, now of the Milwaukee Bucks, is a demanding coach who can grate on his players at times. After signing a four-year extension worth more than $16 million in the summer of 2005, Skiles was fired a year and a half later. That left Reinsdorf looking for a new coach while he was still on the hook for paying a large sum to the old one.

There are definitely plenty of differences this time around – Skiles didn’t reach the heights Thibodeau has and the Bulls the biggest one should be Thibodeau's relationship with Rose. The former MVP is still the franchise’s building block. Rose has said repeatedly that he wants Thibodeau here for the long-term because he believes that Thibodeau gives the Bulls the best chance to win. With so much uncertainty on the roster right now, why risk alienating your best player in any way?

Aside from Rose's feelings, Reinsdorf must also consider the constant distractions that this unresolved contract issue would cause during the year. Thibodeau, Forman and all the players would be asked about it throughout the year. While both Thibodeau and Forman have stated that the negotiations are a non-issue, that's simply cannot the case.

The longer it goes on, the longer the questions will linger. Are Thibodeau and the front office on the same page? As Van Gundy pointed out, if Thibodeau makes it past this year without a deal, there will be teams lined up to sign him for big money. Is that a risk that Reinsdorf wants to take?

The market for Thibodeau was set when the Oklahoma City Thunder locked up Scott Brooks this month for four years and around $16 million. Reinsdorf should offer – and it’s possible he has -- the same kind of deal to Thibodeau. Like Thibodeau, Brooks is viewed as one of the NBA’s up-and-coming coaches. A deal in that price range should be able to get the job done, but if Thibodeau still won't accept a deal in that range, Reinsdorf should pony up whatever the difference is and pay up. There are only so many coaches in the league that have the ability to maximize the talent on their roster on a night to night basis. If the Bulls don't want to pay Thibodeau, somebody else will. If that happens, the perception that Reinsdorf doesn't want to pay for a winner will be harder than ever for the organization to fight. At that point, it will become more than perception. It will become the truth.

GM: Bulls weren't shopping Deng

June, 28, 2012
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DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Chicago Bulls general manager Gar Forman said Thursday the organization didn't make any serious efforts to trade forward Luol Deng or any of the team's core players.

Read the entire story.

Forman: Deep draft for Bulls at No. 29

June, 18, 2012
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John Jenkins
Nelson Chenault/US PresswireJohn Jenkins shot .439 percent from three-point range last season at Vanderbilt.
The Chicago Bulls will have to wait until the 29th pick in next week's NBA draft, but general manager Gar Forman considers it a deep talent pool leaving them with choices at the end of the first round.

"We have spent a great deal of time not only the last month but the last couple of years preparing for this draft," Forman told the team's website. "We're at 29, and we feel good about where we are. We feel it's a pretty deep draft, and we will be able to find a player that fits us and will be able to help us in the future.

"As always we're not looking at specific needs. We'll draft who we think is the best player available. But we're going to have some interesting choices at the end of the month."

In his latest mock draft, ESPN.com's Chad Ford has the Bulls selecting Vanderbilt guard John Jenkins with the 29th pick.

Jenkins, who averaged more than 19 points a game in each of his final two seasons at Vanderbilt, has deep range on his shot with a quick release. But at 6-foot-4 and 212 pounds, he lacks ideal size and lateral quickness, according to Ford.

Bulls recap: Forman/Paxson

June, 7, 2012
6/07/12
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Over the next few weeks, we'll take a closer look at the Bulls' personnel and see where they fit in for the future.

John Paxson & Gar Forman

Season recap: Forman and Paxson once again built a very good roster full of depth and talent. The Bulls led the league in wins for the second consecutive year and were built to contend for a title this season around Derrick Rose. The problem is that when Rose went down in Game 1 because of a torn ACL, the reserves, most of whom had played well all season, faltered against the Philadelphia 76ers. Obviously, Forman and Paxson can't be blamed for the fact that Rose and Joakim Noah (ankle) went down, the issue for the Bulls is that the losses only highlighted the fact that the team doesn't have another dominant scorer to take the pressure off Rose even when he was healthy.

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Assuming Derrick Rose and Luol Deng return to full health next season, should Gar Forman and Paxson keep roster intact?

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Season highlight: Like coach Tom Thibodeau, the proudest moment for Forman and Paxson probably came on March 14 when the Bulls knocked off LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and the Miami Heat without Derrick Rose. The Bulls' Bench Mob, led by John Lucas and Kyle Korver, helped lead the way as the Bulls pulled off their most emotional win of the year.

Season lowlight: For Forman and Paxson the lowlight is painfully obvious. When Rose went down in Game 1, the Bulls' title hopes went down with him. The organization's future became extremely cloudy in the process.

Notes: The Bulls' front office had to go through a bad public relations spell during the year when Marc Stein reported that Tom Thibodeau was unhappy with the way his contract situation was being handled. While both Thibodeau and Forman/Paxson have both come out on the record and stated that it's not an issue, the fact that the sides have not come together on an extension deserves attention throughout the summer.

Quotes: "Any time any of our players get hurt, obviously you're disappointed," Forman said the day after Rose's injury. "Our goal was to be 100 percent going into the playoffs which we felt we were. It's obviously disappointing for Derrick, it's disappointing for the organization ... I think the players feel that we've got enough to get it done and have success and certainly as a coaching staff and a front office, we've feel we've got enough to get it done and have success and we think we've proven that throughout the year. Our bench has been real key and when guys have gone down, other guys have stepped up. We'll continue to move forward."

What's next?: Forman and Paxson have a lot of tough decisions to make. Aside from the potential Thibodeau extension, they have to decide on the futures of several key reserves. Among those decisions: do they pick up the contracts of Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer? What about C.J. Watson's option? Do they match Omer Asik's deal if he is signed to an offer sheet by another team? How far into the luxury tax do they want to go? Who should they take in the draft? Those are just some of the things they must figure out as they prepare for next season.

Final grades: Regular Season: A. Postseason: C.

CHICAGO -- Luol Deng has stated repeatedly that he will 'definitely' be playing for Team Great Britain during this summer’s London Olympics despite the fact that he has a torn ligament in his left wrist. But before he makes a final decision about his future, Bulls GM Gar Forman and coach Tom Thibodeau want to sit down and discuss all the options with him.

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Luol Deng
Rob Grabowski/US PresswireLuol Deng played most of the season with torn ligaments in his left wrist.
"We're going to sit down with Luol some time in the next week," Forman said Tuesday afternoon. "Obviously, the season ended, and we've had Derrick (Rose) and his (knee surgery) over the weekend. Our biggest concern for Luol -- and I know the Bulls' fans concern and Luol's concern -- is his health. We haven't had a chance to sit down with him at length, but we will in the next week and go from there."

Forman, Thibodeau and Deng have held out hope that Deng still may not require surgery. If he does, and he remains committed to the Olympics, he would be out three to four months, likely keeping him out for the first two months of next season. Bulls team physician Dr. Brian Cole said Tuesday that Rose would likely be out between eight to 12 months while recovering from surgery to fix a torn left ACL he suffered during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Deng, who suffered his wrist injury on Jan. 21 and decided to play through the season, remained passionate about his decision to play in the Olympics after the Sixers ended the Bulls' season last week.

"I’ve got to see how my wrist feels right now, going into the Olympics, and then right after the Olympics," Deng said after Game 6. "I’ll make the decision, whether if my wrist is good enough I don’t need the surgery, or if I’ll need it. I haven’t really ruled out not getting the surgery or getting it. I just haven’t made that decision. I just know I’ve got the Olympics ahead of me. Since I was a kid growing up, it's something I always wanted an opportunity to be part of. the fact that it’s in my hometown that I grew up in a country that gave me opportunity to even be here, I’m looking forward to it."

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Bulls enjoy giving back

April, 9, 2012
4/09/12
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CHICAGO -- Gar Forman knows how to work a room, but he's got nothing on his wife Leslie.

Forman, the Chicago Bulls general manager and reigning NBA executive of the year alongside Miami's Pat Riley, has spent decades working in basketball as a coach, scout or executive. But even he would admit he doesn't hold a candle to the bubbly personality his wife exudes on a daily basis. Leslie Forman has become a fixture at Bulls games, chatting up fans, players, even Derrick Rose's mom Brenda.

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Gar Forman
Courtesy Ronald McDonald House CharitiesGeneral manager Gar Forman and wife Leslie pose with kids at Mercy Home during a recent Chicago Bulls Charities event.
She has also become more of a force within the community relations arm of the Bulls organization, the Chicago Bulls Charities. As usual, she bounced around the halls at the United Center on Tuesday as the Bulls hosted their annual charity benefit, just one of many new endeavors she's undertaken in recent months, alongside another new and more public face to the re-formatted organization, Nancy Reinsdorf, the wife of President and COO, Michael Reinsdorf.

Back in January, the Formans, along with John Lucas III, Jimmy Butler and other Bulls personnel, spent an evening at Mercy Home, described by the organization as a place which "gives children who have suffered abuse, neglect, poverty and even abandonment the opportunity to rebuild their lives and the encouragement to realize their dreams."

The Bulls caravan made a special appearance for "Hoops to Homework" night, an NBA draft-like event in which kids from the home who kept their grades up throughout the year were drafted onto teams and played against each other throughout the rest of the season. Forman, Lucas and Butler were among some who made speeches, but it was Leslie Forman, playing the role of cheerleader, who had the crowd energized before the festivities.

"She's got a lot of coaching in her background," Forman quipped. "Her dad was a longtime coach. I guess that's where it comes from."

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GM: Rose to practice on Wednesday

April, 3, 2012
4/03/12
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Derrick RoseAP Photo/Brian KerseyDerrick Rose will return to the practice floor on Wednesday.

Chicago Bulls general manager Gar Forman said Derrick Rose will return to the practice floor Wednesday after he worked out for an hour -- without contact -- on Tuesday.

“He will practice tomorrow with the team and go through some of the practice, so we're cautiously optimistic that it will be pretty soon when he's back on the floor,” Forman told ESPN 1000’s “Carmen, Jurko and Harry” show Tuesday. “He's chomping at the bit. He wants to be out there, and obviously we want him out there. But at the same time, we want to be really careful with it and make sure he's ready to go before he steps on the court."

One of Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau’s requisites for Rose to return has been that he engage in a full-contact practice.

Rose has been out of action since sustaining the injury March 12 against the Knicks. The Bulls have shown resiliency, going 14-7 in games Rose has missed this season. Following Monday’s loss, however, the team is in the midst of its first two-game losing streak in 86 games.

“It was a serious injury,” Forman said. “When we took the MRI, there was some fluid build-up. We knew it was probably going to take a while, but different guys heal from different injuries at different speeds. You never know. The positive again is he has never taken a step back. The process has been good, and hopefully we'll have him back either later this week or into next week.”

Rose’s workout Tuesday was encouraging, Forman said. So much so that he didn’t rule out the possibility of Rose playing Thursday against the Celtics.

“Today was really his first day on the floor going full speed as far as a basketball workout, running, sliding, shooting, he was in a full lather for probably close to an hour,” Forman said. "So that was encouraging, we'll see how he feels [Wednesday], but this was the next step and hopefully we'll have a resolution pretty soon.

"[Rose playing Thursday] hasn't been taken out of play. Again, we'll see how he feels [Wednesday]. We'll see how he does during practice [Wednesday], and then we'll evaluate it at that time."

Rose is averaging 22.8 points and 8 assists per game.



Forman: Thibs' extension talks to resume

April, 3, 2012
4/03/12
6:12
PM CT
CHICAGO -- Chicago Bulls general manager Gar Forman said Tuesday that talks to extend the contract of coach Tom Thibodeau were initiated before the season and were tabled, but they'll resume once the season is over.

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Rose will start against Hawks

February, 20, 2012
2/20/12
11:56
AM CT
CHICAGO -- Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose, who missed the last five games with back spasms, is listed as a starter and is warming up for Monday's matinee against the Atlanta Hawks at the United Center.

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SPONSORED HEADLINES

TEAM LEADERS

POINTS
Luol Deng
PTS AST STL MIN
16.5 3.0 1.1 38.7
OTHER LEADERS
ReboundsJ. Noah 11.1
AssistsK. Hinrich 5.2
StealsJ. Noah 1.2
BlocksJ. Noah 2.1