Tiago Splitter’s heartfelt message to Blazers after Bulls hire

The Portland Trail Blazers recently learned that head coach Tiago Splitter would be departing the franchise to take the same position with the Chicago Bulls. Splitter was the head coach for Portland for the majority of last season and impressed many around the league by leading the young Blazers to a playoff appearance.

Now, Splitter himself has taken to X, formerly Twitter, to write a goodbye message to the Blazers following his departure for the Windy City.

“Portland, These have been great months, and I felt truly welcomed by the city from day one. Thank you to everyone in the organization for your daily dedication and support from day 1. Thank you to the fans for all the love and encouragement. Thank you for the opportunity to be part of this journey. To the players, thank you for your commitment and hard work every day. It was a privilege to work alongside you. See you guys. Thank you, Tiago,” he wrote on the social media platform.”

The Blazers ended up defeating the Phoenix Suns in the play-in tournament this year before losing to the eventual Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs in five games in the first round of the playoffs.

Meanwhile, Splitter was thrust into the head coaching position after Chauncey Billups was arrested just days into the season for his alleged role in an illegal gambling plot, forcing the organization into scramble mode.

However, clearly, Splitter’s guidance of the young team made an impression around other teams around the league, and he will look to lead a similarly young and inexperienced Bulls team back into prominence over the coming years.

The Blazers now have a head coaching search of their own to fulfill.