Across the two three-peats, the dynasty Bulls had three Hall of Fame players at their peaks, one Hall of Fame coach, one Hall of Fame GM and one Hall of Fame owner.
We loved them for that.
But we also loved the role players, whether that be hard-nosed starters like Pax or Harp, bench stars like B.J. or Toni or specialists like Hodges or Kerr.
One aspect that I want this book to capture for all of us is how much we loved all six championship rosters, from the starters to the 12th man, and sometimes all the way to the guys on I.R. Other than Scottie, and MJ, my favorite Bulls were actually a fourth category of role player: the high-energy, low-minutes guys.
Specifically: Cliff Levingston and Jud Buechler.
Those were my guys! “Good News Cliff” was Mr. Energy, Mr. Fun, and as he explains in the video below from 1991, someone who always cheered for his teammates. “I’m a cheerleader,” he said. “That’s why it’s called a ‘team.’ You work together.”
As for Jud, he was a two-sport competitor, basketball and beach volleyball, which he continued to play during his Bulls career when he could. Jud brought those spike-at-the-net springs to the court with his almost Rodman-esque knack for keeping possessions alive at the rim with taps and tips and put-backs and dunks. He could also step out and hit a three.
I’ve been working on this piece for a month, and I’m very excited to get it out. On Monday’s paid post, I will share some of the backstory of the piece, along with Jordan baseball photos from newspaper archives and some other cool items.
With this story finished, I will also be moving my interview efforts to the book, which means that new interviews will be coming to the paid posts in the months ahead.
Don’t miss out! Subscribe now for $5 a month or $33 a year:
Lastly, I hope everyone is taking care of themselves and their families and staying healthy during Coronavirus. If you are 65+, or have someone in your family who is 65+, or you or someone in your family is otherwise immunologically vulnerable, please take good care of yourself.
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Survey: Who was your favorite dynasty Bulls role player?
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Across the two three-peats, the dynasty Bulls had three Hall of Fame players at their peaks, one Hall of Fame coach, one Hall of Fame GM and one Hall of Fame owner.
We loved them for that.
But we also loved the role players, whether that be hard-nosed starters like Pax or Harp, bench stars like B.J. or Toni or specialists like Hodges or Kerr.
One aspect that I want this book to capture for all of us is how much we loved all six championship rosters, from the starters to the 12th man, and sometimes all the way to the guys on I.R. Other than Scottie, and MJ, my favorite Bulls were actually a fourth category of role player: the high-energy, low-minutes guys.
Specifically: Cliff Levingston and Jud Buechler.
Those were my guys! “Good News Cliff” was Mr. Energy, Mr. Fun, and as he explains in the video below from 1991, someone who always cheered for his teammates. “I’m a cheerleader,” he said. “That’s why it’s called a ‘team.’ You work together.”
He also had the assist on MJ’s switch-hands layup. For a long time, my email was GoodNewsCliff@hotmail.com.
As for Jud, he was a two-sport competitor, basketball and beach volleyball, which he continued to play during his Bulls career when he could. Jud brought those spike-at-the-net springs to the court with his almost Rodman-esque knack for keeping possessions alive at the rim with taps and tips and put-backs and dunks. He could also step out and hit a three.
Oh, did I mention the dunking? There was dunking.
Hit the thread below and tell me: Who was your favorite dynasty Bulls role player?
Let’s talk!
In other news, catch my story on the 25-year anniversary of MJ’s return from baseball next week at NBC Sports Chicago! Monday’s story on Scottie inventing and leaking his own trade rumor came from my research.
I’ve been working on this piece for a month, and I’m very excited to get it out. On Monday’s paid post, I will share some of the backstory of the piece, along with Jordan baseball photos from newspaper archives and some other cool items.
With this story finished, I will also be moving my interview efforts to the book, which means that new interviews will be coming to the paid posts in the months ahead.
Don’t miss out! Subscribe now for $5 a month or $33 a year:
Lastly, I hope everyone is taking care of themselves and their families and staying healthy during Coronavirus. If you are 65+, or have someone in your family who is 65+, or you or someone in your family is otherwise immunologically vulnerable, please take good care of yourself.
Be well!
Best,
Jack