Returning to the United Center for the first time since being fired by the Bulls, Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau reflects on his tenure as head coach in Chicago and explains why he does not resent the Bulls' front office staff. (0:39)

CHICAGO -- It's going to be weird.

Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson know it. Chicago Bulls general manager Gar Forman and vice president John Paxson know it. Tom Thibodeau knows it, too.

Tuesday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves is not going to be like any other game. There are too many emotions involved.

Thibodeau, the coach of the Bulls for five years before being fired after the 2014-15 season, will be making his first appearance in an NBA game at the United Center since being ousted -- as head coach of the Timberwolves.

"I'll always remember those talks after a win if we're on the road: 'No all-nighters, don't get locked up, and have fun.'" Bulls forward Taj Gibson on Tom Thibodeau

"I would say it's another game, but I think everybody knows how I feel about Thibs," Butler said. "I respect the s--- out of the guy and what he's trying to do [in Minnesota].

"He was here for the beginning stages of my career, I've gotten better since then and I want to show him what I'm capable of."

Tuesday's affair is sure to rekindle old feelings -- both good and bad -- about the five years Thibodeau was at the helm in Chicago. The messy divorce between the coach and team has been well-documented.

A year and a half later, time hasn't healed the hard feelings on both sides. The Bulls are mired in mediocrity under second-year head coach Fred Hoiberg, and Thibodeau has led his new team to a 6-18 record in his first season in Minnesota.

For the players and staff that played through the Thibodeau years in Chicago, they know early losing with the Timberwolves has got to be wearing on the 58 year-old coach. But that won't stop Chicago from trying to add another loss to the pile.

"I know what kind of person [he is] and what kind of mentality he has," Gibson said." "But our job is to go in and try to make him stressed out. Because I understand he's going to come in, he's going to coach that team to the best of his ability.

"It's going to be a tough game, because I know that he's going to encourage those guys to play hard as hell."

During his time in Chicago, Tom Thibodeau witnessed firsthand the development of Bulls' star Jimmy Butler. Gary Dineen/NBAE/Getty Images

Though the emotions surrounding Thibodeau's Chicago exit remain raw for many, the respect between the coach and his former players endures.

"It's going to be hard not to think about the good times," Gibson said. "And the things he put me through to help me be a better player ... He's like a father figure to me over the years."

Butler echoed Gibson's sentiments. The All-Star swingman understands how important it was to have Thibodeau as a coach early in his pro career.

"Between him and [then-Marquette coach Buzz Williams] they both [were important]," Butler said.

"Both made me continue to work, not give me anything, make me earn every minute, every second I was out there on the floor. And I got better from it, the numbers speak for themselves.

"I'm very grateful that he did coach me for my first four years. The relationship that we still have, that we built upon over the summer [during the Rio Olympics], that's forever going to be my guy. We went through the trenches together."

Over the years, Thibodeau has prided himself in his work ethic. Nobody prepared harder and nobody tried to instill the mindset of outworking an opponent into his own players more than he has.

When asked during the Vegas Summer League what he learned most from his time in Chicago and would try to bring with him to Minneapolis, Thibodeau was reflective.

"There are a lot of things," Thibodeau said. "I think when I look back, and when I got to Chicago the team was young. You had Derrick [Rose] who was 22 and you had Joakim [Noah] who was very young. And so getting up and running, I learned a lot from that. In many ways there's similarities to the situation I'm in now."

Gibson, who played for the Bulls during all five of Thibodeau's seasons, understands what it must be like for young Timberwolves players like Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns.

"He's a tough-minded guy," Gibson said. "If you show any kind of weakness it's going to be tough at first. He's one of those guys, once you show him that you're tough, you can do what you can do, he has faith in you. I remember my first year being with him I hardly talked to him. But once I was proven and I could do my job, and do my job at a high level, and give him 110 percent every day, it was like a great relationship."

The Timberwolves have gotten off to a slow start in Tom Thibodeau's first season at the helm. David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images

As the memories come pouring out heading into Tuesday, Gibson has some specific ones that come to mind.

"The early mornings," Gibson said. "The preparation that goes into the game. The always pushing you, pushing you, the always on top of you like a drill sergeant trying to get perfection every day.

"But I'll always remember those talks after a win if we're on the road: 'No all-nighters, don't get locked up, and have fun.'"

Fun will likely be in short supply on Tuesday night. The raw feelings remain on both sides after the way the relationship ended. As he so often did during his fives years in Chicago, Thibodeau will surely try to downplay just how much the game means and will try to shield his struggling young players from getting caught up in the hype of the moment. But anyone who has watched Thibodeau over the years won't be fooled.

Thibodeau loathed "skipping steps," always wanting his team to focus on the task at hand. He didn't want his group to worry about events in the future that were out of his control. But when asked over the summer if he was looking forward to his Chicago return, even Thibodeau sounded wistful.

"I have nothing but great memories from Chicago," he said. "The organization [took] a chance on me. The players were terrific, I was very fortunate to have that group of players. And then the city of course was phenomenal. I loved living there, the fans were great. The support was unbelievable. So yeah, I'm going to look forward to it."

As strange as it will be to see Thibodeau ranting and raving up the opposite sideline, Gibson hopes his old coach gets the type of love many in Chicago still feel he deserves for delivering two division titles and five straight playoff appearances.

"I hope he gets a nice ovation," Gibson said. "Nobody can change the times here. We played a lot of great basketball for a number of years, short-handed, too. So you got to give him his just due, even though it might be hard for some people to do that.

"But at the end of the day, numbers don't lie."