John Paxson has made several excellent decisions in the Chicago front office, but his physical assault against former coach Vinny Del Negro can be considered his worst.
“It never should have happened, and I never should have done it,” Paxson said Monday. “It was a heat-of-the-moment thing, and I was very frustrated with the way we were playing.
“What also disappointed me is that [Del Negro] never owned up to making a mistake. That says more about him than it does me. I was trying to protect my player [Joakim Noah, who was coming back from injuries], I did it in the wrong way and I’m not proud of that.”
Del Negro was eventually fired and the Bulls hired Tom Thibodeau, who is a favorite for Coach of the Year.
“Tom came in with a positive plan and a belief system from the start, and he has adhered to that.” Paxson said. “He’s done the best job in the league.”