--Assistant coach Del Harris, 71, decided to retire after spending one season on the Bulls bench and completing his 50th year in coaching. The team brought in Harris and Bernie Bickerstaff, two longtime head coaches in the NBA, to help Vinny Del Negro make the transition into his first coaching job.
"I was very fortunate to have Del by my side this season," Del Negro said in a statement. "His knowledge and understanding of the game were an incredible benefit and help." Harris spent 14 seasons as an NBA head coach with Houston, Milwaukee and the Lakers. He took the Rockets to the 1981 NBA Finals and was named NBA Coach of the Year in 1994-95 with the Lakers.
--Rookie of the Year Derrick Rose caught some negative publicity when allegations were raised that he didn't take his own SAT exam in high school. Rose spent one season at the University of Memphis before becoming the No. 1 pick of the 2008 draft. In a letter from the NCAA outlining possible violations, Rose's name was never mentioned, but the player in question played for the Tigers only during the 2007-08 season and Rose was the only player who was on the team for only that season. Through his attorney, Rose denied any wrongdoing. No matter what happens with the NCAA investigation, it won't have any effect on Rose's NBA career.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "Probably from junior high on, I never wavered. I wanted to be in basketball and I knew it wasn't going to be as a player. I knew I wanted to coach, then as I coached, where I excelled more than anything was recruiting, identifying players, helping to put teams together and evaluating guys." -- Gar Forman, after being promoted to Bulls general manager.
