Ron Adams returns to the United Center on Thursday night as the lead assistant coach for one of the most intriguing hires in recent NBA memory, the Celtics' Brad Stevens.
Adams does so after general manager Gar Forman didn't renew his Bulls' contract in late June in an unusual move that drew widespread league attention because head coaches typically handle their staffs and the Bulls were coming off three straight playoff berths. It also raised questions about the working relationship between Forman and coach Tom Thibodeau.
Adams, who said he's enjoying working with Stevens and the Celtics, addressed Forman's decision for the first time publicly in an interview. Forman declined comment, as he has since addressing the matter generally at the time.
"It's still a bit mystifying to me," Adams said. "And I don't understand it. And if the intent was to be hurtful to me and my family, it succeeded."
Adams had close working relationships with several players, including Derrick Rose. Adams had returned to the Bulls in 2010 after a successful, two-season role as Scott Brooks' lead assistant in Oklahoma City in part to live again with his family, which had remained in the north suburbs after Adams' first Bulls' stint under Scott Skiles.
Adams has worked for seven teams over 21 years in the NBA, so he had been let go before. But after the Bulls' regular-season success, he didn't envision not getting the chance to work with Rose upon his return and other players with whom he had grown close in a season with championship potential.
The Tribune reported in June that Forman took exception to Adams voicing displeasure over certain personnel moves. Adams confirmed this, saying he was told he "made a disparaging remark about the organization outside the walls of the Berto Center."
Adams defended his track record of organizational loyalty. His supporters say nothing he allegedly said became a public issue for the Bulls.
At a news conference in July, Forman insisted the decision wasn't personal. Forman otherwise rebuffed questions on Adams, who consistently ranked among leaders in voting for the league's top assistants in the NBA's annual general managers' poll.
"When we make a decision like this, it doesn't serve anybody well to go into detail," Forman said then. "The decision was made by me because I felt it was best for the Bulls moving forward."
Their association goes back 25 years to their days working in college basketball. Forman, a process-oriented decision-maker, supported the Bulls' hirings of Adams in 2003 and 2010.
Aside from family reasons, Adams left the Thunder to join longtime friend Thibodeau's first staff and because he enjoyed relationships with many that he had developed working under Skiles, including executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson and Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf.
Despite becoming a free agent in late June, when many staff openings have been filled, Adams drew interest from the Clippers, Pacers, Spurs, Thunder, Nets and Celtics. He first met Stevens at a coaching symposium at the University of Florida after Stevens had just started at Butler University.
When Adams' daughter matriculated at Butler, the relationship grew, blooming more significantly during the NBA lockout.
"We'd talk and if I was in that area, I would visit. I followed his teams," Adams said. "I always thought he was a bright talent who worked more than miracles at Butler."
Now that he's working by his side, Adams' opinion of Stevens, whose hire as the NBA's youngest coach resonated throughout the league, has grown.
"He's a very skilled person who is humble, isn't full of himself and works very well with the players," Adams said. "He treats everyone with great respect and dignity and kindness. His personal traits and combination of skills are outstanding."
In an interview with the Boston Globe, Stevens praised Adams' ability to "challenge you to be great."
"He's the first guy to tell you that you did something right, but he's also not afraid to say, 'We need to do this differently or this probably will be tough to do,'" Stevens told the Globe. "It's not easy to be the guy who says that. And I really appreciate that. It's one of the reasons I brought him on."
Adams is comfortable in his role, even if his return to Chicago carries some wistfulness.
"Boston is a terrific organization," he said. "I work with good staff and management people. I knew this first year would be somewhat of a rebuilding one. Most of the teams I've been with were rebuilding projects. So I thought it would be an interesting challenge."
