For Sessions, a new regular feature, ESPN.com's Scoop Jackson sits down with the big names in sports for an in-depth interview about life beyond just the game. First up is Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, who talks with Jackson about life, balance and basketball in the pursuit of a championship.

Your Mount Rushmore? I'm not asking you for players, I'm asking you of coaches. If you had a Mount Rushmore of coaches...

I couldn't do it, I couldn't do it...

... not current, all-time.

In any sport?

If you want to do it that way, that's cool. Whatever is comfortable with you.

I got two that I want to name for sure but I don't want to name any others (laugh). Tony LaRussa and Bill Belichick.

Tom Thibodeau has found a way to keep the Bulls relevant without Derrick Rose for all but 10 games of the past two seasons. Gary Dineen/Getty Images

Wow. That's funny because recently I've heard you referred to as basketball's Belichick.

I've watched what Bill has done with the Patriots and studied how his teams plays and ... He's unreal. You can't put me in that category. He's incredible. I have a lot of respect for what he's done.

How has your coaching philosophy changed since you got [to Chicago]?

Each year you try to study, learn, evaluate the things that you feel you've done well and things that, you know, some things you want to improve upon. And also things that you want to add. I think that each year you are with a team you build a team and you continue to add the layers on, so I think a big part of coaching is knowing who your team is and knowing what their strengths and weaknesses are and ...

Every year?

Yeah, you try to build around that. And you are also thinking of all of the possibilities of what could happen. And, if this happens how can we respond to that challenge?

Have you kind of grown into that?

You know what, it's something I've always done. Even when I was an assistant coach. You go back through the season and you evaluate everything. And I think the offseason is a great time to generate new ideas and then at the end of the summer you pair down all the thoughts that you have into something. And you might add 10 percent of what you came up with into your playbook. But I think as a general philosophy I don't think you ever want to stay the same. I think you always want to constantly improve and there are certainly things that I can do a lot better.

You think so? Really?

Yeah. (Pause) Yeah.

Is that just you, who you are?

You know, it's like, I've gotten to be good friends with Tony LaRussa. He's retired now, but he studies sports and winning harder than anybody and that's one of the things I admire and respect about him. I can see why he's won as many games as he has. He's a student of winning and what goes into it. And I think those same characteristics go into every sport.

I asked about philosophy. Have you changed as a person since you've been here?

I don't know if I've changed as a person. I'm certainly not perfect. [It's the] same philosophy I think, there's always things [I] can improve upon and [I] have to strive to do better.

The only reason I ask that is because coming here [in 2009], the city, the organization had an idea of who you were. But I think after going through what you have gone through and how you've handled adversity, you are looked at totally different now from the way you were when you came in here. There were expectations from everyone, but personally, I think you have surpassed any expectations anyone had of you when you took this job. As a city, I think you are making that Chicago coaches Mount Rushmore with Mike Ditka and Phil Jackson and George Halas. I think we are looking at you differently. That's why I asked that question. To see if you feel as if you've change, because we think you've changed.

Well, I've always believed that you have to be mentally tough whenever you face adversity. And it's probably the most important characteristic there is in life in terms of, you know, life. A lot of things happen and it is how you respond to those things that happen. So, hopefully we have a team full of guys like that. It's not just me, you know? Fortunately we have great character on our team. Oftentimes good things come out of that. Like in our situation, we could have chosen not to fight. But we made a decision as a team that, 'Hey, look, this is what we are going to do.' We're gonna fight and good things will happen. And that's exactly what happened.