Inanunsyo ng Chicago Bulls na kanila nang kinuha si dating Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Billy Donovan bilang kanilang bagong head coach.
Ayon sa mga tagapagmasid, agresibong niligawan ni Arturas Karnisovas, ang executive vice president of basketball operations ng Bulls, si Donovan matapos itong umalis sa Thunder.
Sa isang pahayag, nagpasalamat si Donovan sa ibinigay na pagkakataon sa kanya para pamunuan ang koponan.
“I’m excited to partner with Arturas as we work together on behalf of this historic franchise,” wika ni Donovan.
Sinasabing isinapinal ng kinatawan ni Donovan na si Oliver Winterbone ng Wasserman Media Group at ng Chicago officials ang deal nitong Miyerkules.
Para naman kina Karnisovas at general manager Marc Eversley, si Donovan ang “best coach available” at swak daw sa Bulls ang kanyang track record sa Oklahoma City, kasama na ang limang magkakasunod na biyahe sa Western Conference.
“We are very pleased to welcome Billy and his family to the Chicago Bulls,” ani Karnisovas. “The success that he has sustained over the course of his coaching career puts him on a different level. We feel his ability to help his players reach their potential, both individually and collectively, will mesh well with our roster. Whether as a player or as a coach, he has won everywhere his career has taken him, and we hope that will continue here in Chicago.”
Ang 55-anyos na si Donovan, kasama si Mike Budenholzer ng Milwaukee Bucks, ay itinanghal na Coach of the Year ng National Basketball Coaches Association noong 2019-20.
Noong Mayo nang tanggalin ni Karnisovas si dating coach Jim Boylen at nakipag-usap sa ilang mga kandidato bago ialok ang posisyon kay Donovan.
Sa kanyang unang season sa Oklahoma, umabanse sa West finals si Donovan kasama sina Kevin Durant at Russell Westbrook, at nakatungtong ang koponan sa playoffs sa sunod na apat na kampanya.
