VIDEO: Tom Thibodeau shares with the media his secret sauce for a winning culture

As a basketball coach, Tom Thibodeau, head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves, is highly respected and one of the lucky ones. Thibodeau graduated from Salem State in 1981 and started his coaching career as an assistant coach at Salem State the same year. Thibodeau was an assistant coach at Harvard, Minnesota Timberwolves, San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers, the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets. He was an associate head coach with the Boston Celtics from 2007 – 2010, head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 2010 – 2015, and his current position with the T-wolves since 2016.

As head coach of the Chicago Bulls, somehow Tom Thibodeau developed a reputation of being a taskmaster. Although the Bulls were in the NBA playoffs for several years, stories of Thibodeau working his team so hard that players didn’t want to play for him started circulating in the media. And, even though Thibodeau was an NBA Coach of the Year with the Bulls and received numerous other accolades, on May 28, 2015, the Chicago Bulls management fired Thibodeau.

However, the cream always rises to the top, and in 2016, Thibodeau got a better job. The Minnesota Timberwolves named Thibodeau Head Coach and President of Basketball Operations.

It’s important to note that Jimmy Butler, one of the Chicago Bulls’ best players under Thibodeau, joined Thibodeau in Minnesota at his first opportunity, as did Taj Gibson.

And, when the media assembled at the Barclays Center had an opportunity for a Q&A with Thibodeau prior to the Minnesota Timberwolves’ game against the Brooklyn Nets, the conversation was very instructive. Thibodeau most salient points were:

• The importance of building good habits
• Jimmy Butler’s work habits and his impact on the Timberwolves’ players
• Underscoring that Timberwolves are Top 5 in Offensive Categories that matter
• Understanding the need for balance

Now, in case you don’t know, the T-wolves are currently making a push in the NBA Western Conference playoff run and are upsetting the order in NBA Western Conference standings. We’ll be keeping an eye on them.

The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 119-110

A historical night in New York, while both Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump await results that will determine who will run the country, the Brooklyn Nets were the clear winner in this city. The Nets, seemingly unfazed by the election soared over the Minnesota Timberwolves 119-110 for the win.

Veteran Brook Lopez led his team with 26 points in only 28 minutes. After a small halftime lead (66-65), the Nets knew some offensive adjusting needed to be done.

“Coach (Kenny Atkinson) came in and said our guards only had three rebounds (at halftime),” Lopez said. “That was the battle … Once we had all five guys contributing on the defensive glass, it kind of took care of itself.”

Trevor Booker scored 15 points and Sean Kilpatrick added 14. At least 8 players on the Nets finished with at least eight points—something Kenny Atkinson was pleased with.

“We’re sharing the wealth a little more and in the perfect Utopian motion system, that’s what it should look like, where it’s really everybody’s touching it,” Atkinson said after the game.

Isaiah Whitehead, still in for the injured Jeremy Lin, handled the ball nicely for the Nets, along with some help from Kilpatrick. Whitehead had a little scare in the first quarter after T-Wolves power forward Gorgui Dieng accidently trampled his head. Overcoming the stint, Whitehead returned in the second quarter and finished with six points.

“I’m not sure how many charges he took tonight … Maybe two, but he tried to take like five charges,” Atkinson said while praising the Brooklyn native. “That’s Coney Island toughness.”

The win for Brooklyn will only build up momentum for the team after losing against the Hornets last Friday.

On Wednesday, the Nets will take on the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden—the first matchup between the New York teams of the season.