Forman introductory statement:
Great fit with Rose, great passer, great feel for the game.
Had him ranked as #1 power forward, contacted him on day one.
Been a success everywhere he’s been, college, Olympics, produced at a high level. #1 rebounder in NBA this past season. “Boozer is our kinda guy.” Professional, high makeup & character, involved in community, has great family.
Boozer introductory statement:
Happy to be here, started looking for a place, doing some basketball camps, “this is the place I wanted to come to first.”
Answers to reporters’ questions. Boozer:
Looking forward to playing with Rose, he has speed, athleticism, doesn’t get rattled on court.
Very comfortable in post, can use my strength to create space, but I can also pass. Look forward to bringing that presence to Chicago.
“We’ll be at the top and work our butts off. Have a bunch of guys who work hard, new coach in place hungry to win, who has been a winner. We can be as good as we want to be. We want to win a championship, that’s what we play for.”
Enjoyed SLC and Jazz, but this was the best decision for me.
Joakim Noah “has improved every season, has a great passion for the game, has grown every season. Came back strong, great rebounder, great shot blocker. Sky is the limit, he has a huge desire to win. Looking forward to playing with him.”
Reaction to LeBron: “trying to get him to come here to play with us, but I’m happy for him. Wished him good luck, he did the same for me.”
Thibodeau:
Carlos’ versatility is his best asset. Great low post player, great hands. Can draw people away from the basket. Great rebounder and passer, those things both make your team a lot better. Great at using body to seal people off. This is the kind of thing that can help win in the playoffs, a low-post guy, pick & roll guy. Deng, Gibson, also pieces that can fit and be successful in the playoffs.
Boozer:
I’ve gotten better on defense with Jerry Sloan, and with Coach Thibodeau I can learn to play better defense and answer my critics.
Forman:
Did believe LeBron, Bosh, Wade did consider Chicago but make the best educated decision for themselves. There was great interest, but we went into this process looking for interior scoring, a number of power forwards available, we have had Carlos ranked very highly for many years, and he is a fit for our team. We had $ to spend for two guys, but we wanted interior scoring and we’re very happy.
Boozer:
A lot of teams wanted me, staying in Utah was an option, but Chicago is the best place for me professionally and personally. They want to win for many years to come, have pieces, motivation, coach in place. “I want to win championships, I have none, I want to get some.”
Forman:
LeBron was professional with us, no criticism of last night.
Reaction: we got on the phones and continued to work. We want to improve our team, we still have some flexibility so we can still make trades or signings.
We want to build a championship contender. Off guard: pursuing several options and within the next week or so maybe get some guys in the fold.
Boozer:
We have to win — Chicago is a sports town, support win or lose, but we are driven to win, the rest will take care of itself.
Thibodeau:
Carlos will bring a lot to our team from a rebounding standpoint and he can sprint up the floor and get the ball up before their defense can get set. Very effective shooting jumpers, too.
Boozer:
We don’t mind being underdogs, we did that in Utah and we relish that role. I’m used to that; we’ll use that as motivation and go forward.
Miami will be a good defensive team, Pat Riley’s teams do that. Can’t be afraid to play someone if they have three really good players.
This will be an easy transition, Tom has a great vision for our team on both sides of the ball. What more do you want in a coach? Won a ring already in Boston.
Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Luol Deng are the players he mentioned as the keys to the team, they all fit his style. We’re working on talking about other players “behind closed doors.”
Forman:
“We may bring back some of our own free agents, we are in negotiations with them now.”
Wouldn’t name any specifically.
Boozer:
Tough for any athlete to be injured, worst fear is to not be able to help your team out; got to move on and move forward. “I’m completely healthy and looking forward to the season.”
Tough to say goodbye to teammates in Utah, they said it would be a good opportunity for me.
Won’t share any Jerry Sloan stories on camera, he said with a smile.