Thibs: No hard feelings toward LeBron for Heat decision - Chicago Tribune

By K.C. Johnson Tribune reporter

12:20 p.m. CDT, April 12, 2012

Close to two years have passed since LeBron James entertained suitors during his free agency in 2010. Whenever James comes to Chicago, it's still fun to speculate what might've been.

Although James ultimately chose to team with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, the Tribune reported in 2010 how impressed James was by coach Tom Thibodeau and the entire Chicago Bulls' presentation.

Asked Thursday to reflect on his dealings with James during that visit, Thibodeau said:

"He was great. He’s a fierce competitor. I thought (Chairman) Jerry (Reinsdorf) said it best: He earned the right to do what he did. I thought he handled himself overall well. He’s not perfect. Nobody is. He was great with us. That’s all I base it on."

James received a backlash of criticism after his TV special announcement called "The Decision," an event the All-Star has said was a mistake. Thibodeau offered James support.

"With those things, you’re never going to please everybody," Thibodeau said. "At the end of the day, you have to be true to yourself. And I think he was. That’s the decision that he felt was best for him. It didn’t work out for us. He moved on. We moved on. It’s all good."

kcjohnson@tribune.com

Twitter @kcjhoop