The first selection in the 1976 ABA dispersal draft, Gilmore was a dominating force on both ends of the court. He was a four-time All-Star during his initial six seasons with the Bulls, commanding both the offense and the defense. Known for his workhorse nature in the post, Gilmore’s strength and tenacity made him one of the sport’s great big men. Here, Gilmore plays keep away against the Golden State Warriors on Dec. 12, 1978.
Michael Jordan, Phil Jackson and 11 other legendary Chicago Bulls players, coaches and executives will be honored in January as the team celebrates its history with the creation of a Ring of Honor. “The Chicago Bulls Ring of Honor will be a first-of-its-
The first selection in the 1976 ABA dispersal draft, Gilmore was a dominating force on both ends of the court. He was a four-time All-Star during his initial six seasons with the Bulls, commanding both the offense and the defense. Known for his workhorse nature in the post, Gilmore’s strength and tenacity made him one of the sport’s great big men. Here, Gilmore plays keep away against the Golden State Warriors on Dec. 12, 1978.
Few coaches have defined a franchise the way Jackson defined the Bulls during his nine-year tenure as head coach. He helmed them to six NBA championships and was named NBA Coach of the Year in 1996. The Bulls won 50 or more games in all but one of his seasons as head coach. He remains the most successful coach in franchise history with a 545-193 (.738) regular-season record and a 111-41 (.730) playoff record. In this picture, Jackson, center, watches the action during the Bulls vs. New Jersey in Champaign on Oct. 24, 1989.
The automatic first pick for induction into the Ring of Honor, Jordan is synonymous with both the Bulls and Chicago. A six-time NBA champion, six-time NBA Finals MVP, five-time league MVP and 14-time All-Star, Jordan carved out a new style and a new set of expectations for stardom in the sport. While the debate over “greatest of all time” will continue to rage on with each passing year, it’s clear Jordan remains the greatest to wear a Bulls jersey. Here, Jordan, left, holds up the MVP trophy while Bulls coach Phil Jackson holds up the NBA championship trophy on June 14, 1998, in Utah.
A Chicago native who played at Tilden and Illinois, Kerr is a beloved figure for the Bulls as both a coach and broadcaster. He brought in star guard — and fellow Ring of Honor inductee — Jerry Sloan in the 1966 expansion draft and was named NBA Coach of the Year in 1967. Kerr became the team’s color commentator in 1975 and provided indelible commentary for key moments in the playoff runs throughout the 1990s, including his call for “The Shot”: Michael Jordan’s game-winner against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 of a 1989 first-round series. A statue commemorating Kerr was unveiled in 2009 and remains inside the United Center atrium. Here, Coach Johnny Kerr, from left, poses with Dave Schellhase, Bob Boozer and Jerry Sloan, circa 1966.
A founding father of the Bulls, Klein is the reason professional basketball came back to Chicago and stayed. He wrangled the backing necessary to secure an NBA expansion franchise in 1966, then crafted the team’s name and colors. Klein became the team’s first general manager and hired early icons including Johnny “Red” Kerr and Jerry Sloan. He remained a team owner until 1972, when he orchestrated the sale of the team to Arthur Wirtz after establishing the team’s basis of popularity in the city. In this picture, Klein, left, gives coach Kerr an approving pat on the head on March 30, 1967, after Kerr was awarded coach of the year for the 1966-1967 season.
While the most iconic seasons in Bulls history are most prominently connected to players such as Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, Krause’s guidance in the front office was indispensable to that run. He was influential in bringing Tex Winter and the triangle offense to the Bulls and building a successful roster around Jordan. Krause was responsible for the acquisition of stars such as Pippen, Horace Grant and Toni Kukoc and negotiated trades for key players such as Dennis Rodman. He was named NBA Executive of the Year in 1988 and 1996 in addition to winning six NBA titles with the Bulls. Here, Jerry Reinsdorf, left, and Jerry Krause talk to the press after the Bulls defeated the Jazz in the 1997 NBA Finals.
Despite reporting to Chicago three years after the Bulls drafted him in 1990, Kukoc quickly won over Bulls fans with his versatility as a scorer during the first wave of international players finding success in the NBA. Kukoc won three consecutive NBA titles with the Bulls from 1996-98 and earned NBA Sixth Man of the Year honors in 1996. He remains a special adviser to Bulls President and CEO Michael Reinsdorf. Here, Kukoc heads for the basket as the Houston Rockets Shandon Anderson applies pressure in their game at United Center on Jan. 15, 2000.
A key part of the Bulls’ early success under coach Dick Motta, Love was a three-time All-Star during his nine seasons with the team. He held the Bulls scoring record (12,623 points) until Michael Jordan broke it, and his No. 10 was the second jersey number the Bulls retired after his teammate Jerry Sloan’s No. 4. Love held his wedding at the United Center and joined the front office in 1991. Here, Love shoots a jump shot over the defense during a game in February 1973.
Pippen was the powerful second half of the one-two punch that led the Bulls to six NBA championships in eight years alongside Michael Jordan. He was a seven-time All-Star and led the league in steals in 1994-95. He also won two Olympic gold medals with the U.S. national team. Pippen was transformative for the Bulls, bringing a lethal combination of scoring, ball distribution, rebounding and defense that helped push the team over the top. Here, Pippen gets his leg up on the shoulder of the Pacers’ Antonio Davis during their game in Indiana on May 23, 1998.
After serving as a villain in the Bulls-Pistons rivalry in the late 1980s and early ’90s, Rodman came to Chicago in a 1995 trade that set the stage for the second three-peat. He was the NBA’s rebounding champion in all three seasons with the Bulls, bringing a physical edge and defensive talent the team needed to round out Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan. Here, Rodman grabs the rebound against the Indiana Pacers on Feb. 17, 1998.
Sloan’s No. 4 jersey was the first retired by the Bulls, a reflection of the impact he left as an early trailblazer for the team. Selected in the 1966 expansion draft, Sloan quickly became the face of the franchise and led the Bulls to their first division title. He went on to serve as head coach for three years, leading the Bulls to the playoffs once in his tenure. Although time as a coach was short in Chicago, Sloan became a legendary coach during 23 seasons with the Utah Jazz. Here, Sloan (4) pulls down a rebound surrounded by fellow Bulls on April 13, 1973.
An star forward with the Philadelphia 76ers, Walker played the last six seasons of his career with the Bulls, making four All-Star teams, averaging more than 20 points per game and helping lead the team to six consecutive playoff berths. He partnered with Bob Love, Norm Van Lier and Jerry Sloan to lift the Bulls to four consecutive 50-win seasons. Here are Walker, second from left, poses with Van Lier, left, Sloan, second from right, and Love in 1973.
It’s rare for an individual to enter a franchise’s Ring of Honor for work as an assistant coach — but Winter was no ordinary assistant. His role in the perfection and implementation of the triangle offense ushered in a new era for the sport in Chicago, the NBA and worldwide. Winter provided key guidance to Phil Jackson to help craft and adapt the offense that won six NBA titles between 1991 and 1998, a contribution that earned him induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011. Here, Winter yells during a game against the Detroit Pistons on March 31, 1998.
