Category: Chicago Bulls Blog

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Steve Kerr hotel check-in alias used to be ‘Austin Powers’

Here’s NBC Sports Chicago reporting a fun item from the Bulls’ past:

In news that really only would have made sense in 1997 or 1998, it appears current Warriors coach Steve Kerr used “Austin Powers” as his alias to check into hotel rooms on road trips while playing with the Chicago Bulls.

NBC Sports Chicago’s Rob Schaefer deduced Kerr’s nom de plume after examining a list of road-trip room assignments that ’97-98 Bulls reserve Rusty LaRue shared on Twitter. Schaefer found that the list, which wasn’t presented in alphabetical order, closely corresponded with an A-Z list of Chicago’s roster from that season.

Bulls hire Pat Connelly and JJ Polk to front office jobs

The Chicago Bulls have hired Pat Connelly and JJ Polk, naming Connelly as Vice President of Player Personnel and Polk as Assistant General Manager.

Connelly will primarily be responsible for the structure and processes of the scouting department.

Polk will primarily be responsible for strategic planning and salary cap management, in addition to being involved in all player personnel matters.

“Pat and JJ both bring valuable experience that will enhance our basketball operations department,” said Arturas Karnisovas, Bulls Executive Vice President – Basketball Operations. “I know that the skills these two possess will be an asset in building out our program. JJ’s expertise with cap management and negotiations will help us be creative in our deals and contracts, while Pat’s great eye for talent, global contacts and networking capabilities will organize our scouting department in a productive way. Combined, these two basketball minds will help increase functionality and implement our vision of moving this program forward.”

Per the Chicago Sun-Times, “the Bulls announced last week that Marc Eversley was named general manager, bringing the number of front office hires to three for Karnisovas. Expect that number to grow, as the plan all along has been to build out each department in the front office, as well as adding depth to each one.”

Connelly was most recently the Director of Pro Personnel with the Denver Nuggets, a position he held for one season in 2019-20. Prior to his time in Denver, Connelly spent five seasons with the Phoenix Suns as Assistant General Manager from 2013-18 and seven seasons with the Washington Wizards from 2006-13. He joined the Wizards as a part-time advance scout and worked his way to Director of Player Personnel, becoming one of the team’s top scouts for college and international play. Prior to his time in the NBA, Connelly was a graduate assistant for the men’s basketball team at Baylor University from 2004-06, where he also earned a master’s degree in speech communication. He earned his undergraduate degree in business from Mount St. Mary’s University in 2002. Connelly spent one season as an assistant coach on Nick Nurse’s staff for the Brighton Bears of the British Basketball League in the 2003-04 season, helping guide the team to the league title.

Polk joins the Bulls after spending 10 seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans, most recently as Executive Director of Basketball Administration. He was initially hired to the Pelicans as the Director of Player Contracts and Basketball Administration, working two seasons in that role from 2010-12. Before joining the NBA, Polk practiced law at Bryan Cave LLP for six years as an associate in the Real Estate and Banking Practice Group. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois College of Law. As an undergraduate at Rice University, Polk earned a political science and managerial studies degree. He played professional basketball in Sweden, Latvia and China from 1997-2000.

New Bulls GM Marc Eversley shares player-first mentality

The Bulls have a new front office. It’s a new era in Chicago. Okay, the start of one. Possibly. It’s all about results. Anyway, here’s the Chicago Sun-Times reporting:

“One of my mottos is ‘players first,’ ‘’ new GM Marc Eversley said on Friday, when he was officially introduced to the media via Zoom. “I think you have to create a players-first mentality. And I agree with you – we were the second-youngest team in the NBA last year, and I really believe it starts with a foundation of player development. True player development, that’s really when we can see what kind of players we have on our roster.’’

Develop the players to their fullest potential and then actually have a real selling point to a superstar?

Sure, former GM Gar Forman and vice president of basketball operations John Paxson spoke about that often, but had very little idea on how to execute it.

The best player developer Forman and Paxson had was one-time coach Tom Thibodeau, who was so adept at bringing the best out of players, he covered up a lot of the mistakes his bosses made both in the draft and free agency.

And here’s NBC Sports Chicago:

It seemed telling that Karnisovas answered a question on division of labor with a collaboration-focused response. Whether it’s internally or in inter-organization dealings, Karnisovas and Eversley will work in concert. For, say, a trade negotiation, one of Karnisovas or Everlsey might have a stronger relationship with an executive to leverage. In a different scenario, one might share a strong connection with an agent for a free agent pursuit. Even externally, Karnisovas said they will share duties like meeting with reporters to detail the team’s vision and actions.

“The luxury that we have with our current hires is that we’re coming from a lot of different programs. And we can take the best scouting practices and how we look at evaluating players, how we look at player development,” Karnisovas said. “We’re going to share our responsibilities. We’re going to hear each other out and make a decision at the end of the day.

First up will be the draft, which is scheduled for late June, but with May’s draft lottery and draft combine postponed, it’s possible the actual draft date might change as well.

Chicago Bulls hire Marc Eversley as new general manager

The Chicago Bulls have hired Marc Eversley to be the team’s General Manager. In this role, Eversley will report directly to Executive Vice President – Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas and primarily be responsible for overseeing the implementation of all elements of the basketball operations process.

“I set out to find a General Manager who complemented my vision and values, and who could help implement them at the Bulls in a fresh way. Marc’s background and skills do exactly that,” said Karnisovas. “He has a history of building strong relationships across the board, identifying talent at organizations that have had success during his time there, and the necessary insight for building a network that will be an asset to our program. He’s ready for this next step in his career, and I’m looking forward to working with him to build the Bulls back into a perennial contender.”

Eversley comes to Chicago with 14 years of NBA experience, working for the Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers. In his latest role as Senior Vice President of Player Personnel with the 76ers, he not only oversaw player personnel and talent evaluation, but was also involved in Philadelphia’s recruiting and decision-making process. He was promoted to Senior Vice President after serving the first two seasons as Vice President of Player Personnel. He also oversaw Philadelphia’s scouting department on the collegiate, NBA and international levels.

“Becoming a General Manger in the NBA and joining the Chicago Bulls family is a dream come true,” said Eversley. “I’m grateful to be working with someone like Arturas who shares my level of passion and commitment to winning basketball, and having both come from successful programs, we will put in the work and all it entails to become a sustainable and winning team. I want to thank Arturas, as well as Jerry and Michael Reinsdorf, for trusting in my leadership abilities to move this iconic franchise forward.”

Here’s the Chicago Tribune:

It’ll be hard not to notice Eversley when he walks into a room, considering he stands at 6-foot-8 and is a former NAIA college basketball player at Urbana University in Ohio, which recently closed. Eversley played 95 games in his career and averaged 11.3 points per game. Although neither Eversley nor Karnisovas ever played in the NBA, they both come to the Bulls front office with some basketball experience.

Eversley was on the 76ers staff when the team selected Ben Simmons first-overall in the 2016 NBA Draft, and he helped Philadelphia transition from a team that won 28 games his first season in 2016-17 to one that won 50-plus games the next two seasons. This year’s team was on pace for 50 wins again before the NBA went on hiatus during the 2019-20 season. He had a hand in acquiring such players as J.J. Redick, Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris to fortify a roster that included Simmons and Joel Embiid.

And more from the Tribune:

The Bulls do not overhaul their front office often, so when their search for Karnisovas started and finished without successfully interviewing any black candidates — in a league where about 70 percent of the players are black — they drew criticism from African American executives around the league. Chief Operating Officer Michael Reinsdorf said they were denied permission to interview the people of color on their list. Regardless, Karnisovas said he would make it a point to change that and emphasized diversity within his candidate pool.

Prior to joining the 76ers, Eversley spent three seasons with the Washington Wizards as Vice President of Player Personnel. He began his NBA career with the Toronto Raptors where he spent seven seasons as an Assistant General Manager responsible for player development, then personnel scouting and evaluation, and he played a lead role in drafting DeMar DeRozan ninth-overall in the 2009 NBA Draft. Eversley concluded the final two seasons of his Toronto tenure as the Vice President of College Scouting.

Michael Jordan could have played for the Oakland A’s, says former GM

Here’s NBC Sports Chicago reporting on some interesting insight into a turn Michael Jordan’s brief pro baseball career could have taken:

Michael Jordan’s departure from his life as the greatest basketball player in the world to play minor league baseball with the White Sox is the stuff of Chicago legend.

But it might have gone quite differently. And with a different organization altogether.

Former Oakland Athletics general manager Sandy Alderson told ESPN’s Buster Olney on a recent edition of the Baseball Tonight podcast that he offered Jordan a spot on his major league roster in 1994.

“You recall when Jordan stopped playing basketball and decided to try baseball, and ultimately went down to the Birmingham Barons — the Chicago White Sox affiliate,” Alderson said. “When I heard that was happening, or about to happen, I called his agent right away and said, ‘Hey look, I understand he may be going to Double-A. I don’t even know who the 25th man is on our major league team right now, I will sign him and put him on the major league roster. He’ll be part of our 25-man team. Tomorrow.'”

Just speculating here, but unless Jordan had somehow magically been better at the major league level than he was in the minors, he’d still probably have wound up back in the NBA around the same time as he did. But this could have potentially been an even more fascinating detour.

Rick Carlisle amused by quick cameo in Michael Jordan documentary

Here’s ESPN.com with a fun item about Mavs coach Rick Carlisle:

Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle responded to his brief, not-so-glamorous appearance in the opening episode of ESPN’s “The Last Dance” with a wry bit of self-deprecating humor.

“There must have been an exhaustive search to find footage of me actually PLAYING in an NBA playoff game,” Carlisle wrote in a text reply to an inquiry about his thoughts on the clip that showed him as a Boston Celtics reserve guard being torched by Michael Jordan for a dunk after a baseline spin.

The first two episodes of The Last Dance were mostly introductory, setting the stage for the real meat of the series. There are eight more episodes, airing over the next four Sunday nights.

Bulls hire Arturas Karnisovas as executive VP of basketball operations

The Chicago Bulls have hired Arturas Karnisovas (pronounced Car-NISH-O-Vas) as Executive Vice President – Basketball Operations. In this role, Karnisovas will be responsible for all decisions made in Chicago’s basketball operations department.

And per the Chicago Sun-Times, “not the only bit of news to come out of the franchise, either, as they announced former VP of basketball operations John Paxson would take an advisory role, while former general manager Gar Forman was fired with two years left on his current deal, and 22 years with the organization.”

“Arturas is one of the most respected basketball executives in the NBA. His resumé speaks for itself. I am thrilled that he is now a member of the Bulls,” said team President & COO Michael Reinsdorf. “As the new head of basketball operations, I am confident that his vision, ability to lead and experience helping build winning teams in Houston and Denver will serve him well here. I am very pleased to welcome him and his family to the City of Chicago and have him officially join our organization.”

Karnisovas, 48, comes to the Bulls with nearly two decades of front-office experience, where he played a key role in the construction of championship contenders with the Denver Nuggets and the Houston Rockets. He most recently served as General Manager of the Denver Nuggets. Hired by Denver as the team’s Assistant General Manager in 2013, he was promoted to Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations in 2016-17, before being elevated to General Manager in 2018.

“This is the height of a dream for me, and I am prepared for the challenge that it presents,” said Karnisovas. “I grew up watching the Chicago Bulls. They represented American basketball and the NBA to a kid from Lithuania. I’ve always had a love for this franchise and to be a part of it and influence its revival is a privilege. I want to thank Jerry and Michael Reinsdorf and the entire Bulls organization for presenting me with this opportunity and welcoming me and my family to Chicago.”

Also today, John Paxson, who has served in various roles on the Bulls for more than three decades, moved into a new role as Senior Advisor of Basketball Operations.

Reinsdorf: “John has an invaluable perspective on our organization and where we want to be, and he played an instrumental role in this change by bringing forward the idea of a restructure and reorganization. I have always held his knowledge and basketball insight in the highest regard, and he has earned my respect as well as that of his peers. His decision to take on a new role reflects what I’ve always known about John – that he is forever a willing teammate on and off of the court and always does what he believes is in the best interest of the Chicago Bulls.”

Paxson: “When I came here in 1985, I never imagined what the Chicago Bulls would mean to me more than 35 years later. While I’m in a new role and a new phase in my life, what won’t ever change is my commitment to the Bulls and appreciation to Jerry and Michael for the incredible opportunities I’ve been afforded. I’ve had the rare opportunity to see this team as a player, broadcaster and executive, and at every turn I’ve been fortunate to experience what makes this organization so special – people who give their best every day and work together as a team, as well as our incredible fans who support us. I’ve always tried to do what was best for our organization and put our team in position to succeed, and ultimately compete. I know Arturas will do the same. He brings the kind of talent, experience and commitment to collaboration that will allow him to succeed in his new role. I truly believe this is a great opportunity for the Bulls organization and that there are bright days ahead.”

ESPN Michael Jordan documentary ‘The Last Dance’ TV schedule, dates and times

ESPN Michael Jordan documentary TV schedule, dates and times, in April and May, 2020:

IN THE U.S.

Sunday, April 19, ESPN

9 p.m. ET – Premiere of “The Last Dance” Episode 1

10 p.m. ET – Premiere of “The Last Dance” Episode 2

Sunday, April 26, ESPN

7 p.m. ET – Re-air of “The Last Dance” Episode 1

8 p.m. ET – Re-air of “The Last Dance” Episode 2

9 p.m. ET – Premiere of “The Last Dance” Episode 3

10 p.m. ET – Premiere of “The Last Dance” Episode 4

Sunday, May 3, ESPN

7 p.m. ET – Re-air of “The Last Dance” Episode 3

8 p.m. ET – Re-air of “The Last Dance” Episode 4

9 p.m. ET – Premiere of “The Last Dance” Episode 5

10 p.m. ET – Premiere of “The Last Dance” Episode 6

Sunday, May 10, ESPN

7 p.m. ET – Re-air of “The Last Dance” Episode 5

8 p.m. ET – Re-air of “The Last Dance” Episode 6

9 p.m. ET – Premiere of “The Last Dance” Episode 7

10 p.m. ET – Premiere of “The Last Dance” Episode 8

Sunday, May 17, ESPN

7 p.m. ET – Re-air of “The Last Dance” Episode 7

8 p.m. ET – Re-air of “The Last Dance” Episode 8

9 p.m. ET – Premiere of “The Last Dance” Episode 9

10 p.m. ET – Premiere of “The Last Dance” Episode 10

ESPN’S JORDAN DOC ON NETFLIX (outside of the U.S.)

Monday, April 20 – 12:01 a.m. PT – “The Last Dance” Episodes 1 and 2

Monday, April 27 – 12:01 a.m. PT – “The Last Dance” Episodes 3 and 4

Monday, May 4 – 12:01 a.m. PT – “The Last Dance” Episodes 5 and 6

Monday, May 11 – 12:01 a.m. PT – “The Last Dance” Episodes 7 and 8

Monday, May 18 – 12:01 a.m. PT – “The Last Dance” Episodes 9 and 10

ESPN Michael Jordan documentary reportedly coming in April

There will be some top-notch basketball TV-viewing available in April. Not the NBA. But something we all want to see. Here’s the New York Post reporting:

ABC/ESPN’s highly anticipated 10-part Michael Jordan documentary, “The Last Dance,” is being moved up to April, The Post has learned.

Sources said the start date will be Sunday, April 19. It was originally slated for June…

Netflix owns the international rights to the docuseries.

And here’s the Chicago Sun-Times:

Fans haven’t been the only ones pining for the early release. Lakers star LeBron James told ESPN’s “Road Tippin” podcast last week that there’s no better time to air the series.

”If they release that thing right now? The views on it?” he said. “Listen, if I’m Michael Jordan, I’m going in there and I’m making a conference call and I’m like, ‘OK, what’s the reason that we’re going to hold on to it until June now? Compared to now when everybody is at home?’ Because it’s done [being edited]. It’s done. Yeah, it’s done.”

There’s no reason to think the NBA will suddenly return to action in April. This Jordan doc should absolutely be the best basketball TV we get.

Some Bulls frontcourt questions

The Chicago Bulls are a work in progress. A squad in construction. A team for the future.

Here’s NBC Sports Chicago pondering some questions on the team’s frontcourt:

While the backcourt is starting to take shape, the frontline is loaded with question marks. Was Lauri Markkanen’s slump in his third NBA season just an outlier, or will the Bulls have to adjust their evaluation on his potential? Can Wendell Carter Jr. have success as an undersized center and find a consistent role in the offense? Can Otto Porter Jr. stay healthy long enough to contribute?

Markkanen’s future is the biggest question facing the franchise right now. Was he held back by the changes to the offensive system this season, or does he simply lack the aggressiveness necessary to average 20 points and 10 rebounds over a full season? …

The Bulls also were hoping to bet a better read on Carter and Porter over the final 17 games. Carter missed about six weeks of game action because of a serious ankle sprain, but was just rounding back into game shape when the suspension hit.

The Bulls were 22-43 when NBA league play was put on hold a few weeks ago. They have Zach LaVine’s scoring, and plenty of young potential building blocks, but across the roster as a whole, almost as many questions as they have answers.