Chicago Bulls: 25 Most Important Bulls in Franchise History

Derrick Rose's high flying ways brought the Chicago Bulls back tot he Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since the days that Michael Jordan roamed the hardwood in the Windy City. Rose and the new group of Bulls certainly have the town excited about basketball again. 

Where do Rose, Luol Deng and the rest fit in terms of Bulls history though? Here are the top 25 Bulls in franchise history, including players, owners, GMs and coaches. 

25. The Broadcast Team

Most recently it's been Neal Funk and the outrageous Stacy King, but before that it was Johnny Red Kerr and before the LeBron James talcum clap, there was Michael Jordan's talcum clap which was always done before Redd. 

Kerr died within hours of another former Bulls broadcaster and player, Norm Van Lier. 

The Bulls broadcasters and their voices are as much a part of the Bulls history as the players. As a group they deserve the 25th place on this list. 

24. Tom Thibodeau

In his first year as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls Tom Thibodeau tied the NBA record for wins by a rookie coach, led the team to the NBA's best record and then the Eastern Conference finals, and won the NBA Coach of the Year. 

In accomplishing all of that he accomplished a trifecta of achievements that no other coach in Bulls history other than Phil Jackson has ever done. Some might feel that one year of coaching makes it premature to place him on this list, but when you accomplish that much it's hard to not consider him on the team.  

23. Elton Brand

Elton Brand was another lottery pick spent on a big man, but this one actually flourished. That didn't keep the management from trading him away though.

He averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds in his rookie season and won the Rookie of the Year along with Steve Francis (remember him). Then, inextricably, the Bulls traded him away for the rights to Tyson Chandler and Brian Skinner who never played with the Bulls.

In my opinion it was one of the dumbest moves in Bulls history. I still have no idea what they were trying to achieve.  

22. Joakim Noah

That whole lottery pick big man thing finally is resolved with Joakim Noah. Noah set aside any doubts that he was worth the decision this year leading Chicago defensively to the league's best record. When all is said and done, Noah may very well be considered the second best center in franchise history. 

His defensive presence and flexibility are things that don't show up in box scores. He may be the only player in the league who can (and has) effectively guarded LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Dwight Howard. 

His legacy is still being carved and he will likely move up this list as he continues. 

21. B.J. Armstrong

BJ was the backup point guard for the first Bulls championship team and then the next year took over the starting job from John Paxson. BJ is 11th all time in assists with the Bulls, 16th in scoring and has three championship rings. He was voted to the All Star game in 1994. 

He was the first player taken by Toronto in the expansion draft, though he never played a game with the Raptors. He played for Golden State, Charlotte and Orlando before coming back to Chicago and finishing his career in the 1999-2000 season. 

20. Luol Deng

Luol Deng at one time was considered to be the player that might lead them back to the promised land. However partly because he's had some injuries, and partly because it might just be beyond his abilities, he's settled into a comfortable spot as an elite defensive player and the third scoring option. He is currently eighth all time among Bulls in points, 11th in rebounds and 18th in assists. 

He is one of only three Bulls who have recorded 7,000 points, 3,000 boards and 400 steals. Got any guesses who the other two are?

He has also become one of the better defensive perimeter players in the league and one of the best "glue guys" there is. 

He's been voted the Best Sportsman by the NBA players, the Golden Icon Award for best sports role model and the 2008 UN Refugee Agency's Humanitarian of the Year Award. 

When you're talking about team chemistry and the like, having a strong moral center on the team is an element that can't be overlooked. Luol is a Deng nice guy!

19. Dennis Rodman

Lost amidst all the craziness that perpetually surrounded Rodman is the fact that he was one amazing athlete. Consider this: in spite of having coached Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal and Pau Gasol, Phil Jackson says the greatest athlete he ever coached was Dennis Rodman.

Rodman brought energy and intensity to the court, and in spite of all his other antics, he brought crazy effort. There is no stat in basketball that says "work" like the rebound, and Rodman averaged nearly four more per game than any Bull that ever played the game. 

His induction into the Hall of Fame was well deserved. The only reason he's not higher on this list is that his time with the team was relatively brief. 

18. Tom Boerwinkle

Tom Boerwinkle played more games with the Bulls than anyone who has spent their entire career as a Bull. Over the course of his career, he grabbed more rebounds than anyone except Jordan. He was fifth in total games played. He had five triple-doubles and holds the Bulls single game record with 37 rebounds.

17. Reggie Theus

"Rush Street" Reggie was another player that excelled until the organization made some befuddling moves. In spite of having averaged 20 points and nearly six assists during his five year stint with the Bulls, he was suddenly benched for the first half of the 1983-1984 season before being traded. All time with the Bulls he is seventh in scoring and sixth in assists.

16. Norm Van Lier

"Stormin' Norman" was a premier point guard and tenacious defender in the 70s. He made three All-Star games, three All-Defense teams and five All-Defense second teams. He is third all time in assists for the Bulls and fifth in steals.

Van Lier averaged 12 points, six assists and two steals per game as a Bull. He also held the record for the longest field goal of 84 feet for 24 years until Baron Davis broke it with an 89 foot shot. 

The Bulls made it to the playoffs five times when Van Lier was starting. In '74 and '75 he led the Bulls to the Western Conference finals. The Van Lier teams were probably the best Bulls teams other than the Jordan years. 

Norm Van Lier and former head coach and fellow broadcaster Johnny "Red" Kerr both passed away on Feb 26, 2009. 

15. Toni Kukoc

At 6'11'', Toni Kukoc was highly athletic and an extremely versatile player, able to fill any position on the court from the shooting guard to center. Kukoc was the third option behind Jordan and Pippen during their second three-peat. His highlight as a Bull was when he made the game winning shot against the Knicks in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. 

As a Bull Kukoc averaged 15 points, five rebounds and four assists. 

14. Kirk Hinrich

Kirk Hinrich was arguably the leader of the "Baby Bulls." During his tenure as a Bull, Kirk started the fourth most games of any Bull, dished the fourth most assists, had the fourth most steals and scored the ninth most points.

Kirk also is the Bulls career leader in three-point shots made with 812. He played with extreme intensity on both sides of the ball, and was rewarded with a Second Team All-Defensive nod in 2007.

13. Horace Grant

Horace Grant was the inside scoring threat and defender, as well as the principle rebounder during the Bulls first three-peat. He is sixth all time in rebounding for the Bulls and 10th all time in scoring. He is also 13th in assists. Only Pippen and Jordan have more postseason Win Shares. He was also selected to the All-Defense team on four occasions. 

There are a number of people that will argue that Rodman should be ranked higher than Grant, but Grant's overall contributions with the Bulls exceeds those of Rodman's. He played nearly three times as many games as a Bull, and as such, deserves a higher spot on the list. 

Apart form that, he made glasses cool. 

12. Chet Walker

Chet Walker was with the Bulls from 1969-70 until the '74-'75 season. Over that time he averaged 20.6 points and 6.1 rebounds.

The Bulls never failed to make the playoffs while Chet was with them, but they never made it past the Western Conference finals either. He is fifth in club history in points scored and 13th in total rebounds. He is also third in Win Shares. 

11. Dick Motta

Dick Motta's place as a Bull is one often overlooked by history, but he was the second head coach of the team, and was it's greatest until Phil Jackson came along. During the team's first seven year's in the NBA, it was Motta at the helm. 

In fact, Motta won Coach of the Year while he was coaching the Bulls in 1971. During his seven year tenure, the Bulls missed the playoffs only twice. They reached the Conference Finals. He was the coach of the team that, until Jordan came along, was the golden age of the Bulls.  

10. Artis Gilmore

Artis Gilmore is the greatest center to ever play for the Bulls. He is sixth among all Bulls in total rebounds and fifth in points. He's also the all time leader in field goal percentage, not just among Bulls, but the entire NBA. He was an All-Star with the Bulls on three occasions.

He was in the ABA before the merger, and was probably the second biggest star in the league behind Julius Erving. He is also arguably the most accomplished eligible player not in the Hall of Fame.  

9. John Paxson

John Paxson was drafted by the Spurs, but signed with the Bulls as a free agent in 1985. He was the starting point guard for the Bulls for their first two NBA Championships. He is fifth all time in games played as a Bull, fifth in assists, seventh in steals and 19th in total points. He also sank the game, series and championship winning shot in Game 6 of the Finals in 1993.

After his retirement as a player, Paxson spent one year as an assistant coach in the 1996 season when the Bulls set the record for wins in a season.

After that he became broadcaster for the Bulls and spent seven years in that role.

Then he left the broadcasting role to take over as general manager.  In that position he oversaw the drafting of such players as Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose.  

He was replaced in 2009 with Gar Forman as GM but remains the president of basketball operations and has a key voice in all the Bulls moves. This current Bulls team is largely a result of John Paxson. 

Few Bulls have affected the franchise on so many levels. As a player, coach, broadcaster and executive he has overseen success at every level. 

8. Bob Love

Love a Bull. I had to do it. Bob Love spent seven years with the Bulls from the 1969-70 season until 1976. Over the course of that time he scored 12,272 points and grabbed 3,839 rebounds. He could score with either hand and was the best low-post scorer the Bulls have ever had. Prior to the arrival of Jordan, he was the career leader in most stats.

7. Derrick Rose

Some might argue that it's too early to put Derrick Rose this high. However, there are a number of factors to consider. 

First, he's produced more points per game than any player in Bulls history other than Michael Jordan. While he won't ever touch Jordan's place in Bulls' history, he could very well be the second greatest before all is said and done. 

Aside from that, he's the only Bull other than Jordan to ever win the MVP. Sure some want to complain that he shouldn't have won it, but he did. At only 23, the best of Derrick Rose is ahead of him, and that's taken into consideration here. 

6. Jerry Sloan

Jerry Sloan was the "Original Bull" because he was the first player selected by the team in the expansion draft. He was the first player the team ever had. Sloan is fourth in points and rebounds for the Bulls, as well as ninth in assists.

He, along with Van Lier, is in the conversation for the best defensive player in club history after Jordan and Pippen. He was selected to four All-NBA Defense teams and twice to the second team.

In addition to his accomplishments as a player, Sloan also spent a year as a scout for the team (in the year they drafted Reggie Theus), two years as an assistant coach and three years as a head coach.

Sloan deserves his spot up here for his accomplishments on multiple levels as a Chicago Bull. 

5. Jerry Reinesdorf

Jerry Reinesdorf has an interesting place in Chicago history. He has brought championships to not just one but two Chicago teams. He is one of only three North American owners to win championships in two different sports. The other two were Jack Kent Cooke, owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and Washington Redskins, and Bill Davidson, owner of the Detroit Pistons and Tampa Bay Lightning. 

Perhaps what makes it so amazing is that Reinesdorf has done this while being a tightwad, for lack of a friendlier word. He refuses to pay any tax for the Bulls and has been consistently one of the most strident advocates for a salary cap. 

Yet at the same time he has a way of building teams. He's been the owner of the team for 25 years now and he very well may be on the precipice of winning another championship as an owner. 

4. Jerry Krause

Jerry Krause and his place in Bulls history is a uniquely controversial one. Krause built the dynasty and then Krause destroyed the dynasty. It's hard to ignore either part of the story. 

It was Krause who brought Bill Cartwright to the Bulls, drafted Scottie Pippen, singed Phil Jackson and traded for Dennis Rodman. He brought Toni Kukoc from Croatia. He was behind every major decision the Bulls made during the dynasty years. 

He also pretty much single-handedly drove it all away. Still, without Krause, it's doubtful the Bulls would have become the dynasty they were. He deserves credit on this list for his best decisions, even when you consider his worst mistakes. 

3. Scottie Pippen

Recently the Cavaliers fans tried to "insult" LeBron James by calling him Scottie Pippen. I was aghast at the notion that somehow being Scottie Pippen was an insult. Scottie's greatness was simultaneously enhanced and overshadowed by playing alongside Jordan.

It can be safely said though that the six rings would not have happened without not just his talent, but his willingness to put the team first. That, as much as his play, was his greatness.

2. Phil Jackson

In Chicago, regardless of what Phil Jackson did in LA, we will always consider Phil Jackson a Chicago Bull. Without his coaching and system, the Jordan years would not have been championship years. 

As great as Jordan was, it was Jackson who convinced him that it was better to be a champion than a statistical monster. His "zen" motivation was the biggest reason that MJ turned the corner and went from scoring champion to NBA champion, and as such, Jackson trails only his pupil on the greatest Bulls list. 

1. Michael Jordan

What can be said about him that hasn't already been said a million times? Rather than just recount a bunch of stats and accomplishments readily available everywhere online, I'll just relay this story. Michael Jordan's trainer, Al Vermeil, had a love for the medicine ball. 

One day some of the Bulls picked up a 12 pound medicine ball and started trying to dunk it. Even the strongest among them, including Horace Grant couldn't get it up and over the rim, with two hands. This went on for about half an hour. As they were all goofing around and trying to do it Jordan came into the gym. 

He saw what they were trying to do and said let me have a go. The first time, he windmill dunked it with one hand as though it were nothing more than a regular basketball.