CHICAGO (AP) — Growing up in Brazil, Tiago Splitter used to watch Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the middle of the night.
“Hidden from my parents and at 1 a.m., watching M.J. games and rooting for the Bulls,” Splitter said with a wry grin.
That was the most successful period in franchise history. Now the Bulls are hoping to start another winning era with Splitter on the sideline.
The 41-year-old Splitter was formally introduced on Wednesday as the 25th coach in franchise history. He brings a wealth of experience that includes seven years in the NBA as a player and a challenging season as the interim coach of the Portland Trail Blazers.
The addition of Splitter is the team’s most significant move since Bryson Graham took over as executive vice president of basketball operations on May 4. The 6-foot-11 Splitter emerged from a crowded field of candidates that reportedly included Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, Atlanta Hawks assistant Ryan Schmidt and Wes Unseld Jr., who was on Chicago’s coaching staff last season.
While describing why Splitter was the choice, Graham praised the coach’s competitiveness and his ability to connect with players.
“We are at the ground floor,” Graham said. “And so when you have someone that has a vision that aligns with yours, that knows how you want to play, and how to build a program, we just, I mean, we couldn’t be more excited.”
Splitter coached Portland to a 42-40 record and a five-game loss to San Antonio in the first round of the playoffs. It was the first playoff appearance and first time the Trail Blazers finished with a winning record since the 2020-21 season.
“It wasn’t an easy situation,” Splitter said. “I think, you know, as the season went to the finish, to the end, we almost forgot about it and that was the great thing. … That was most important thing for me, just like leaving the outside noise out of the picture and focusing on basketball and by the end, you’re having like a clear goal and finish the way we finished.”
Splitter spent time with San Antonio, Atlanta and Philadelphia during his playing career. He was selected by the Spurs in the first round of the 2007 draft, and he helped the team win an NBA title in 2014.
He worked for Brooklyn for five seasons from 2018-23, first as a pro scout and then as an assistant coach. He was an assistant for Houston for one year before coaching Paris Basketball Club to a French Cup championship during the 2024-25 season.
That experience — both playing and coaching — was an appealing attribute, Graham said.
“He’s got a phenomenal story,” he said.
Splitter is replacing Billy Donovan, who resigned after six seasons. The Bulls had conversations with Donovan about returning, but he decided to step aside rather than work with a new front office.
Chicago allowed 121.5 points per game this season, ranking 28th overall in the NBA. It finished with a 31-51 record while missing the playoffs for the fourth straight year.
The Bulls pick No. 4 and No. 15 in next week’s draft, and they also have plenty of salary-cap space going into free agency. But Splitter offered a diplomatic answer when asked about expectations for next season.
“I can guarantee you one thing: We’re going to compete every night,” he said. “And we’re going to have high standards with everything that we do.”