Chicago Bulls: Rudy Tomjanovic has high praise for Jim Boylen

There were kind words for former Houston Rockets head coach Rudy Tomjanovich going the way of Chicago Bulls head man Jim Boylen of late.

A former basketball player and coach that saw current Chicago Bulls head coach Jim Boylen rise through the ranks in the past 25 years had a lot of praise for him this weekend. Former Houston Rockets five-time All-Star selection and two-time head coach Rudy Tomjanovich opened up on his thoughts of Boylen rise through the NBA coaching ranks over the weekend (per Bulls NBA Team Page).

Tomjanovich coached alongside Boylen back during his days with the Rockets staff throughout much of the 1990’s. During that run with the Rockets in the 1990’s Boylen and Tomjanovich saw back-to-back NBA Championships. That is pretty impressive since the Bulls were winning all those titles with those 1990’s dynasty teams while Boylen and Tomjanovich were succeeding in Houston.

Here’s what Tomjanovich had to say on the rise of Boylen from a video coordinator with the Rockets all the way up to his recent three-year contract extension that took his interim tag off as head coach of the Bulls.

"“I was lucky as an ex-player to get the chance I did, but I had to be convinced I wanted to be a head coach,” Tomjanovich admitted. “Jim knew this was his destiny and he’s prepared for this moment almost his whole life. He’s been pointing toward this thing and it is like dream come true. I am so happy for him.”"

Tomjanovich also opened up on what he saw from Boylen in his first 58 games with the Bulls last season and how it compared back with his Rockets teams in the 1990’s.

"“But one of the main ones is that Jim (Boylen, Bulls coach) will have a team with a training camp where he can put in his system. It’s so tough to do in the middle of the year. I did that, so I know (30 games with the 91-92 Rockets). It’s not a good barometer. Jim was heading in that direction for so long. He is such a dedicated coach.”"

Tomjanovich had that experience in Houston where he took over around the middle of a regular season. The difference was that the Rockets finished up with a 42-40 record during the 1991-92 season and the Bulls finished up with a 22-60 record last season.

Yet, it is nice to see a big name in the NBA coaching world like Tomjanovich have nice words to send Boylen’s way. It does inspire at least a bit of confidence in Boylen that he is well regarded with high-profile former NBA coaches like Tomjanovich that he was staffed under in the past.

Boylen and the Bulls will tip off their 2019-20 regular season slate on Oct. 23 against the Charlotte Hornets. The preseason slate tips off on Oct. 7 (Monday night) at home against the Milwaukee Bucks. And the first time the Bulls will meet up with the Rockets this season (Tomjanovich’s former team as a player and coach) will come on Nov. 9 at home.