In a press release from Tim Hallam, Chicago Bulls Senior Director of Public and Media Relations, the organization has requested that fans and media qualify all further assessments made about the 2010-11 Chicago Bulls with a comparison or juxtaposition to the Bulls teams of retired superstar Michael Jordan.
“The Bulls organization will never surpass the pinnacle of excellence established by the Jordan-era teams of the 1990s,” says the press release. “Despite no current Bulls player or coach having anything to do with those bygone championship teams, and despite most of our young fans having really no emotional connection to Michael Jordan or teammates Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, or Bill Cartwright, for that matter, we feel it is in the best interests of the Bulls community as a whole to at all times weigh this current team against one from thirteen years ago and prior.”
Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations John Paxson, himself a member of three of the Bulls six title-winning teams, agreed with the request of the organization.
“We would like to think that this team right now could have its own identity,” said Paxson, “But fans and writers just won’t let that happen. No matter how successful this team is for years to come, it’ll never get out of Michael’s shadow, so why fight it?”
Examples provided by the Bulls front office to accommodate fans who have been able to let go of the Jordan era and appreciate Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, and the rest of the current talented Bulls team for its own merits include comparing the vocal chords of then-coach Phil Jackson with those of current head coach Tom Thibodeau, debating with friends which white guy who is only needed to shoot three-pointers and plays awful defense is better (Kyle Korver or Steve Kerr), contemplating differences between a 37-year-old Kurt Thomas in 1998 and the 50-year-old current version, and weighing the inspirational merits of Brian Scalabrine vs. Jack Haley, amongst others.
By Tim Baffoe
