Fred Hoiberg needs to brush up on the names of his new players.
The Chicago Bulls head coach was discussing the recent acquisition of Robin Lopez, who was brought into the organization in the Derrick Rose deal with the New York Knicks. In the press conference, Hoiberg mistakenly referred to Lopez as Brook Lopez, who is a star center for the Brooklyn Nets and not a member of the Chicago Bulls. It’s a hilarious mistake.
Fred Hoiberg excited to coach Brook Lopez, uh Bulls got Robin Lopez. pic.twitter.com/Og1BOFiBCD
— ⓂarcusD (@_MarcusD_) June 27, 2016
It must be awkward for Robin as he hasn’t been with the organization for a week and his coach already has mistaken him for his more talented brother. Lopez can ball, but he’s not on the same level as his Nets’ sibling.
Now, Hoiberg was clearly referring to Robin in his presser, as the details about “Brook” described his twin brother. Still, it’s a dumbfounding mistake to make. I get that people can mix up names, but as the coach of the Bulls you can’t do that in a public setting. He deserves to be mocked for the mixup, not that it’s an incredibly huge deal. Just a big blunder.
I doubt Robin Lopez is too upset about the name mixup. As a twin myself, I regularly get referred to by my brother’s name all the time. But, Hoiberg needs to know better. His comments won’t alienate his new center, but it’s not a great first step for the relationship.
