Former Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau has praised his former players for the dedication shown during his tenure as boss at the franchise, while also stating that it provided him with a great experience.

Thibodeau was sacked just over a week ago after spending five years with the side, but has recently spoken in glowing terms about his time at the team, despite some reports in the press stating that he was unhappy at being relieved of his duties.

"It was a great experience for me. I loved our players. I loved my staff," said Thibodeau, according to CSN Chicago.

"Derrick [Rose] going down was a big hit for us. He missed a major part of four seasons. We really had him for one year when he had the MVP season and that was huge for us. We lost a lot of other guys along the way. But the team always found a way. Sometimes I sat there and I didn't know how.

"They did an incredible job. They fought through that adversity. We made the playoffs every year. We gave it our best shot and fell short at the end."

The Bulls have since brought Fred Hoiberg in as head coach.