It was all to lead into a conference call for reporters with Karnisovas and chief operating officer Michael Reinsdorf, the first public appearance of any kind from Bulls leadership since initial reports of real activity began to surface last week. And everything appeared to be going according to plan, until coach Jim Boylen did what he does best -- call a bizarre timeout near the bitter end of an outcome never really in doubt.
This time it was in the form of his own press release, running to join a parade to which he wasn't invited.
"I want to welcome Arturas to the Chicago Bulls," the statement began, despite the fact that nobody asked him, nor cares what he thinks.
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Boylen doesn't seem to understand that he's not in a position to welcome someone at least two levels above him in the power structure, but that didn't keep him from continuing to strike a perfect balance of craven desperation and transparent obsequiousness.
"He has a wealth of experience as a player and executive and a strong reputation within the basketball community," Boylen said, as if his confirmation of these facts carries any weight. "I commend Jerry and Michael for bringing Arturas on board. I am thankful for the support that John and Gar provided me and my staff when I became our head coach. Their commitment and belief in our team played a key role in helping me establish a foundation for how I wanted to coach our team. I cannot overstate how much I appreciate that. I wish them and their families nothing but the best."
This is classic Boylen, with all the neediness laid bare. Just as he regularly feels compelled to list the smarter and more successful coaches for whom he has worked or deflect analysis of an inexplicable loss by mentioning how his bosses have his back, here he somehow was able to commandeer team letterhead to assert, essentially, that he thinks he matters.
Why somebody in the media relations office allowed him to do this is anyone's guess, because it's a sentiment better expressed via Twitter or with a quick call to a reporter. One reasonable hypothesis might be a desire internally for Karnisovas to get to see for himself how ham-fistedly Boylen does business, but that's exactly the kind of twisted political game that has haunted the Bulls' hallways for too long and one of the best reasons for starting it over with new executives from other, healthier cultures. It would be a last gasp of self-preservational incompetence before such things are eradicated so belatedly.
It's more likely that Boylen was able to exploit the transition of leadership to slide something out with the team's imprimatur that would make him feel more secure in his position than he actually is.
What a perfect way to be remembered, as the guy whose professional insecurity was so overwhelming that he didn't think to stop himself from displaying it immediately to his new bosses.
What has been clear for months remains even more so today. If Karnisovas thinks Boylen is the best head coach for his organization, the Bulls just hired the wrong man to lead them.