For Rose, the return to the Knicks marks the third time in her career that he has played with Thibodeau, his manager in Chicago from 2010 to 2015, and then again as part of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. Asked what makes them connect with each other, Rose laughed and said that he and his coach are a “weird couple” before talking about their shared love of the game.
“The synergy we have, I can’t explain it,” Rose said. “We are a strange couple, but for some reason we understand the game. And the closest thing I can probably say is that we are students of the game. We watch the game. We try to understand the game more and try to improve if not every day, every week, every month, every couple of months, every year. There is always room for improvement, and it is for the improvement of the team. Wherever I go, wherever I go, we always try to win. “