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Nikola Mirotic Laughs At Your Derrick Rose-Jimmy Butler Rumors

By Michael Whitlow

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During a recent interview with Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype.com, Chicago Bulls second-year forward Nikola Mirotic answered some questions on his rookie year in Chicago, along with addressing the rumored Derrick Rose–Jimmy Butler situation that has been swirling through the news all summer long.

Once he finally got a chance to produce last season by former Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau (and due to injuries on the roster), Nikola Mirotic developed into a solid option for the Bulls off the bench.

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The rookie of the year runner-up finished the year averaging 10.2 points per contest to go along with 4.9 rebounds per game, a 17.9 player efficiency rating (PER) and a 55.6 true shooting percentage (TS%) in 1,654 minutes played last season.

Before Nikola Mirotic gets going with the Spanish National Team for EuroBasket, the European qualifying tournament for next summer’s Olympics in Brazil, he sat down with Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype.com and answered some questions.

Most of the interview was about Mirotic’s adjustments to America and the NBA, but one question stuck out (for obvious reasons) and it further showed that the rumors about tension between Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler are just that: rumors.

"There’s been a lot of rumors about the poor relationship between Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler. What can you say about that?NM: (Laughs) Actually, I’m surprised that people write about it. Their relationship is very, very good. They are the leaders of our team and get along real, real well. You can see there’s very good communication between them in games and practices. There’s never been any problem between them that I have seen.(HoopsHype.com)"

The rumors of Rose and Butler’s “beef” began shortly after the Bulls were eliminated by the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series this past May. Throughout the summer, Butler has defused the situation numerous times, while Rose, in typical Rose fashion, has stayed out of the limelight during the summer and avoided any controversy.

Personally, Mirotic’s explanation seems on point. Rose has been the clear-cut leader of the organization and Butler’s development this past season may have brought some minor bouts of tension between the two throughout the year, but the two stars been together in the Bulls backcourt for four seasons. They both understand the situation and both want to win, even with Butler’s rise to stardom last year.

The interview with Sierra and Mirotic was informational in other aspects as well. Mirotic played in one of the biggest markets in the world, and yet, he seemed like a relative unknown. From a personal aspect, this particular question was enlightening to Mirotic adjusting to a new type of game in the United States.

"Your first year in the NBA was also your first year as a father. How was that?NM: That’s been one of the hard parts. You come in with a newborn baby, just three months old, and you find yourself in a new city, new surroundings… It wasn’t easy. Those are the type of things that make you more mature and more responsible person. All in all, things have gone well. Although, again, it was hard with all the traveling and missing important moments with my child, like when he walks for the first time or his birthday or other celebrations. But that’s part of the job and my family understands."

For a 23 (now, 24)-year-old to take on a new city, a new league and a new situation like that, it makes Mirotic’s rookie season look even more impressive. Sure, there were times that Nikola Mirotic struggled just like any other rookie, but you could have made an argument that Mirotic was the Bulls’ most important player during the spring (specifically the month of March).

Year two for Nikola Mirotic will be a big one, and that’s before Bulls training camp even begins next month. Mirotic will suit for Spain during EuroBasket on September 5-20, then will report to his first training camp with the Bulls under Fred Hoiberg. (Mirotic spoke on his first meeting with Hoiberg during the interview as well.)

Next: Evaluating Nikola Mirotic heading into Year 2

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