Mike Krzyzewski believes the culture Tom Thibodeau has created with the Chicago Bulls is the reason the team is able to persevere through so many injuries.
"I think Thibodeau is one of the great coaches in basketball," Krzyzewski said. "He's developed a culture of tough character.”
Instead of collapsing from the loss of Derrick Rose and other key role players, the Bulls continue to win.
Krzyzewski coached Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng at Duke.
"I know Carlos obviously really well, I've coached him, I coached Luol, those kids ... they just have great character,” Krzyzewski said. “And the Bulls are a blue-collar team in a blue-collar town, and I think it's one of the great stories right now in the NBA, what the Bulls are doing.
"I think they have a philosophy that they don't talk about being sick all year. They don't talk about being hurt all year, so when the moment of truth comes in the playoffs, they're already accustomed to a certain way of living."