Tom Thibodeau's Chicago memorial taken down two days after installation
Tom Thibodeau can't catch a break.
The Chicago artist known as Bae Cutler (ha, we get it), who painted a now-notorious "Pray 4 Rose" mural after Derrick Rose tore his meniscus, has returned with new public art, this one memorializing the dearly departed recently fired Bulls coach.
But Thibodeau's tenure on the wall was brief. Though he had some success, multiple sources with knowledge of the situation told SI.com on Friday that the work has already been taken down...only 48 hours after it was put up.
The effigy was constructed on "heavy-duty cardboard" and drilled in, so that anyone with a ladder, crowbar and some initiative could have taken it with them. As of Friday evening there was no indication who may have done so.
Located in the city's Logan Square neigborhood, here we see Thibs depicted as a saint, holding a clipboard, and somewhat surprisingly, not barking out "ice."
If you weren't following, the Rose memorial was beneath an expressway, low to the ground, vandalized and eventually rebuilt. This iteration of Thibs existed only on what appears to be a temporarily constructed wall.
The coach appeared safe as of this morning, but knowing the culture of Chicago's street art organizations, communication and trust were key to maintaining his place, as well as a unified approach. Rumors began flying quickly.
Thibs told us he was on the wall until he heard otherwise. There's talk that there could be an obvious replacement in the next few days.
We're also hearing that going forward, any further discussions regarding Bulls art must not be considered an invasion of turf and remain private.