C Omer Asik spoke warmly about the Chicago Bulls organization on Tuesday as he bid goodbye to Chicago. According the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson, Asik is grateful for the players, coaches and fans from his first two NBA seasons:

"I'm very thankful the Bulls gave me the opportunity to start my NBA career in Chicago," Asik said. "It's a great organization in a great city with great fans. It was a great place to be introduced to the NBA because the organization has created a culture of competitiveness and teamwork, good lessons to learn.

"I'm also thankful for all my teammates. Our practices were so competitive that it helped make me a better player. We had great leadership too ..."

Asik played mostly from the bench for the Bulls, but the Houston Rockets sent a three-year, $25 million offer sheet his way and the Bulls elected not to match.

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