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TOP 10 JORDAN TEAMMATES: With The Last Dance acting as our only basketball fix at the moment, we decided to go back in time and look through those awesome Bulls rosters to figure out who Michael Jordan’s 10 best teammates from the dynastic years were. No, Jordan was never on a super team – in fact, Scottie Pippen is the only teammate of his to make an All-Star – but he did have a variety of talented teammates in Chicago.
10. Orlando Woolridge: He spent two seasons as Jordan’s teammate in the legendary 2-guard’s rookie and sophomore campaign. In that stretch, Woolridge averaged 21.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while shooting 52.7 percent from the floor.
9. John Paxson: The clutch outside shooting specialist. Paxson spent nine seasons in Chicago and was a full-time starter at point guard next to Jordan for three of them. He’s best known for hitting the unforgettable championship-clinching shot in Game 6 of the 1993 Finals against Phoenix.
8. Bill Cartwright: The starting center for the Bulls for six seasons. Cartwright was a solid mid-range shooter, a reliable veteran and a tough-nosed post defender, who was part of Chicago’s first three-peat.
7. Ron Harper: He became the Bulls’ starting point guard after the No. 5 player on this ranking. Harper was a super tough defender; he averaged 1.3 steals during his five seasons with Chicago. Harper, Jordan and Pippen were not fun to try and score on.
6. Steve Kerr: The best shooter Jordan ever played with. In five seasons with the Bulls, Kerr shot 47.9 percent from three and earned Jordan’s trust to take shots in big moments.
5. BJ Armstrong: Lightning-quick point guard and Chicago’s starter at the position after Paxson. Armstrong was not just a terror in transition, but also an elite outside shooter. He hit 43.7 percent of his threes with the Bulls and made an All-Star. He’s an agent now.
4. Toni Kukoc: Perimeter-oriented forward who spaced the floor, provided scoring and was a solid playmaker for Chicago. Was integral towards the Bulls’ second three-peat.
3. Dennis Rodman: Mercurial power forward who the Bulls were able to reign in (to an extent) and wound up being massively important for Chicago. In three seasons with the Bulls, Rodman averaged 5.2 points and 15.3 rebounds and won three titles.
2. Horace Grant: Chicago’s power forward before Rodman, he had a solid mid-range jumper, could finish everything in the paint and was an above-average rebounder/defender. Grant was an All-Star for the Bulls during Jordan’s first retirement.
1. Scottie Pippen: Was there ever a doubt who’d be in this spot? Pippen was one of the greatest wing defenders of all time, was one of the first elite point forwards in basketball history and could do a bit of everything on the floor – all at a high level.
CORONA UPDATE: Adam Silver spoke with players yesterday and had a lot to say. Among the most important updates: The decision to return this season could extend into June, no fans are expected to be in attendance if the league does return this campaign and Silver thinks all 30 owners want to play more games this season.
GIANNIS WATCH: The Warriors are planning way in advance to make a push for Giannis Antetokounmpo, most likely through free agency in 2021.
COACHING COMEBACK? Mark Jackson really wants to get back into coaching, calling it a dream of his to run one of the league’s 30 teams. It probably won’t be the Warriors, we must say.
NEW ROCKET IN CHARGE? There’s a lot of recent buzz connecting Jeff Van Gundy to the Rockets, despite the fact that they already have a pretty good head coach as is.
INJURY UPDATE: It’s been a while since Ben Simmons went down with a back injury, but there’s still no guarantee he’ll be ready to go if and when the season does resume, per Elton Brand.
ONE-ON-ONE: We can’t watch players match up one-on-one at the moment, but we can watch them face off in virtual trivia. The first two competitors? John Collins and Andre Drummond, to determine who has more NBA knowledge. Fun stuff!
FRESH POD: Legendary Bulls beat writer from their glory years Sam Smith joined Alex Kennedy to discuss a variety of topics, including Jordan’s wrath.
WHO’S THE GOAT? We’re starting a new series where we break down the cases for some of the league’s top GOAT candidates. First up: Michael Jordan himself. (He makes a pretty strong case.)