Category: Chicago Bulls Blog

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Dennis Rodman wants to inspire children

If there’s one former professional basketball player you’d want to give advice to children, naturally the first name on everyone’s list would be… Dennis Rodman.

Jason Stromberg of Forum Publishing Group reports:

Dennis Rodman says he hasn’t picked up a basketball in forever and insists the game isn’t what drives him anymore.

“I want to reach out to today’s children, because nowadays it’s hard to do such a thing,” said the former rebounding king and five-time NBA champion. “Look at the world we live in. It’s so fast-paced with all the electronics. I want to make it a better place.”

A seven-time first-team All-Defensive selection, Rodman was at the Ocean Manor Resort Hotel, 4040 Galt Ocean Drive in Fort Lauderdale, last Wednesday for an appearance on the Jeff DeForrest sports talk show on WWNN 1470 AM. He was on hand to help promote the You –Me –BBQ & Tennessee charity event to benefit the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“My advice for kids is to understand the difference between good and bad and learn from it,” he said. “You try and reach out to as many as you can. A lot of the kids look at me as a cartoon character, someone who is witty and funny. I love that, but I also want them to see me as a beneficial person, someone who isn’t bad and is doing as many positive things as possible.”

Rodman may be a cartoon character, but if he says positive stuff to the kids that’s all that matters. I just hope they didn’t see him on The Apprentice.

Jerry Krause Hall of Fame boycott continues

Jerry Krause is sticking to his principals on an issue he cares about.

Mike McGraw of the Arlington Heights Daily Herald reports:

Former Bulls general manager Jerry Krause says there’s a simple reason why he’s not in Springfield, Mass., this weekend for Michael Jordan’s enshrinement in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Krause is sending a Tex message.

Years ago, Krause made a vow never to return to the Hall of Fame unless Winter – a longtime Bulls assistant and creator of the triangle offense – was voted in.

“I would be a heck of a hypocrite if I went back on my word not to walk into that building,” Krause said Friday on WSCR’s Danny Mac Show.

“Many years ago I was on the Hall of Fame committee for five years. I resigned in a very public manner for a reason. The reason was because Tex Winter was not on the ballot one year. The committee had no say in who was on the ballot. The committee had no meetings. It was all done by mail and you did not know who the other committee members were.”

I’d say Tex Winter definitely deserves to be in the Hall of Fame more than a few others who have been inducted over the last four or five years.

Michael Jordan Hall of Fame speech review

The AP reports: From the coach who cut him to the players who disrespected him, Michael Jordan never forgot a slight. Not even on the night he was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame. Jordan’s thank you list went well beyond friends and family, including any doubters who provided him the inspiration to become a better player — perhaps the greatest one ever. “You guys, I must say thank you very much for giving me that motivation that I definitely needed,” Jordan said.

The AP continues: Jordan cried before beginning his acceptance speech, then entertained the crowd with memories of any slights that sent him on his way to basketball’s birthplace: –The coach who cut him from the varsity as a North Carolina schoolboy. “I wanted to make sure you understood: You made a mistake, dude.” …  –Isiah Thomas, who allegedly orchestrated a “freezeout” of Jordan in his first All-Star game. “I wanted to prove to you, Magic (Johnson), Larry (Bird), George (Gervin), everybody that I deserved (to be there) just as much as anybody else, and I hope over the period of my career I’ve done that without a doubt.” … –Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy — Jordan called him Pat Riley’s “little guy” — who accused Jordan of “conning” players by acting friendly toward them, then attacking them in games.

Yahoo reports: Jordan wandered through an unfocused and uninspired speech at Symphony Hall, disparaging people who had little to do with his career, like Jeff Van Gundy and Bryon Russell. He ignored people who had so much to do with it, like his personal trainer, Tim Grover. This had been a moving and inspirational night for the NBA – one of its best ceremonies ever – and five minutes into Jordan’s speech it began to spiral into something else. Something unworthy of Jordan’s stature, something beneath him. Jordan spent more time pointlessly admonishing Van Gundy and Russell for crossing him with taunts a dozen years ago than he did singling out his three children. When he finally acknowledged his family, Jordan blurted, in part, to them, “I wouldn’t want to be you guys.”

Yahoo continues: No one ever feels sorry for Isiah Thomas, but Jordan tsk-tsked him and George Gervin and Magic Johnson for the 1985 All-Star game “freeze-out.” Jordan was a rookie, and the older stars decided to isolate him. It was a long time ago, and he obliterated them all for six NBA championships and five MVP trophies. Isiah and the Ice Man looked stunned, as intimidated 50 feet from the stage, as they might have been on the basketball court. The cheering and laughter egged Jordan on, but this was no public service for him. Just because he was smiling didn’t mean this speech hadn’t dissolved into a downright vicious volley.

University of Memphis basketball career of Derrick Rose erased from record books

Michael O’Brien of the Chicago Sun-Times reports: Bulls guard Derrick Rose’s college career at Memphis officially was erased from the record books Thursday. The NCAA Committee on Infractions concluded that a player on the 2007-08 team was ineligible to compete because of an invalidated SAT score. According to the NCAA, the athlete played for the Tigers only in the 2007-08 season and the 2008 NCAA tournament. Only one player — Rose — fits that description. The committee also found that Memphis provided a player’s brother with $1,713.85 in impermissible benefits. That person is believed to be Rose’s older brother Reggie. As a result of the infractions, Memphis will forfeit all 38 victories and its Final Four appearance. The school is on probation until Aug. 19, 2012, and must return all the money it received from appearing in the NCAA tournament. “I know I didn’t do anything wrong,” Rose said two weeks ago at his basketball camp in Deerfield.

Shannon Ryan of the Chicago Tribune reports: The Educational Testing Service’s cancellation of the player’s test score fit into the NCAA’s “strict liability” category and the infractions committee did not need to investigate further because it meant Rose already was ineligible before the season began. The NCAA attempted to contact Rose twice to attain proof he took the exam, according to the report, but he didn’t respond. The Memphis men’s basketball team also received punishment for failure to monitor itself because a player’s relative — thought to be Rose’s brother Reggie — received free accommodations and travel on several occasions. Memphis lost in the national championship game to Kansas and the Bulls made Rose the first overall pick in the NBA draft in 2008 after his freshman season. He was named the NBA’s rookie of the year.

Detroit Pistons sign Ben Wallace

Pistons sign Ben Wallace

Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced today that the club has signed free agent center Ben Wallace.  Per team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

“We are pleased to announce Ben Wallace’s return to the Pistons organization,” said Dumars.  “Ben played an integral part in the success of the franchise from 2001-2006 and we feel there is a role for him on our team this season.  His size and experience will provide depth in the front court while his work ethic and commitment to winning will help our club throughout the year.”

Wallace, 34, has NBA career averages of 6.2 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 30.9 minutes in 903 games (785 starts) with Washington, Orlando, Detroit, Chicago and Cleveland.  The 13-year veteran played in Detroit from 2000 to 2006 where he was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year and an NBA All-Star four times.  Wallace was an All-NBA Second Team selection three times (2003, 2004, 2006), All-NBA Third Team selection twice (2002 and 2005) and an NBA All-Defensive First Team selection five times (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006).  The Pistons made the playoffs in five of the six years he was in Detroit, winning Eastern Conference Championships in 2004 and 2005 and the NBA Championship in 2004.  Wallace is the franchise’s all-time leader in regular-season and playoff blocks (1,297 and 215, respectively) and ranks first among all-time playoff leaders in rebounds (1,237).  He holds franchise single-game records for blocks in a game (10 – twice), defensive rebounds in a quarter (10) and blocks in a quarter (6).  During the 2006-07 season, he became just the fifth player in NBA history to record 100 blocks and 100 steals for seven consecutive seasons joining Hakeem Olajuwon (12 times), Julius Erving (seven times), Sam Lacey (seven times) and David Robinson (seven times).  Wallace ranks fifth among active players in career blocks with 1,948 and led the NBA in blocks during the 2001-02 season (3.48 bpg).

Originally acquired by the Pistons along with Chucky Atkins in exchange for Grant Hill as part of a sign-and-trade deal with Orlando (8/3/00), Wallace signed with Chicago as a free agent on July 13, 2006.  He was traded by Chicago to Cleveland as part of a three-team trade on February 21, 2008.

Read NBA fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.

Did Ben Wallace relatives encourage him to chase the money?

The Arlington Heights Daily Herald (Mike McGraw) reports (via blog): Ben Wallace agreed to rejoin the Pistons this week, returning three years after signing the $60 million free-agent deal with the Bulls. This would have been Wallace’s final season with that contract, but he agreed to a buyout with Phoenix. I doubt if Wallace ever wanted to leave Detroit in the first place, but he was encouraged by relatives to take the bigger payday. Once he got here, I think Wallace tried his best, but he was clearly uncomfortable in the spotlight. Then he just couldn’t keep up the pace of being a high-energy, undersized center and his body broke down. Wallace doesn’t figure to spend much time on the court this season. Will his mentoring help turn Charlie Villanueva and Chris Wilcox into all-stars? I doubt the Bulls should be worried.

Chicago Bulls waive Linton Johnson and DeMarcus Nelson

The Chicago Bulls announced today that the team has waived forward Linton Johnson III and guard DeMarcus Nelson.

Johnson (6-8, 205), signed a 10-day contact with Chicago on Mar. 11, 2009 and was re-signed to a second 10-day contract on Mar. 20, 2009.  Johnson was then signed for the remainder of the season on Apr. 7, 2009.  In his second stint with the Bulls, Johnson appeared in eight games and averaged 1.1 ppg and 1.0 rpg in 5.0 mpg.

Nelson (6-4, 200), was acquired by the Bulls as a free agent on Apr. 4, 2009.  As a Bull, Nelson posted one DNP-CD and appeared on the inactive list twice.

Dallas Mavericks sign Tim Thomas

Dallas Mavericks sign Tim Thomas

The Dallas Mavericks announced today they have signed free agent forward Tim Thomas. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. We’ll add contract info later today.

Thomas (6-10, 230), a 12-year veteran, was the seventh overall selection in the 1997 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers and has played with six teams during his career (Philadelphia, Milwaukee, New York, Chicago, Phoenix and L.A. Clippers) including two stints with both New York and Chicago. In 806 career games, he holds averages of 11.6 points and 4.6 rebounds, while shooting .436 from the field, .369 from behind-the-arc and .757 from the foul line.

The Patterson, N.J., native has seen action in seven different Playoff runs (55 games). Thomas’ postseason averages show an increase in every major category over his career regular season numbers with averages of 13.3 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting .468 from the field, .436 from three-point range and .772 from the foul line.

Thomas was a standout at Villanova University where he played for one season before making himself eligible for the NBA Draft. In his only season as a Wildcat, Thomas averaged 16.9 points and 6.0 rebounds. He was named The Sporting News Freshman of the Year and Big East Rookie of the Year.

“We are excited to welcome Tim to Dallas as part of the Mavericks family,” President of Basketball Operation/General Manager Donnie Nelson said. “His versatility, post season experience and outside shooting are valuable assets that will fortify our bench. Throughout his career, Tim has established himself as a formidable long-range threat and we look forward to him filling that role on our roster.”

Security guard admits to stealing Jordan jersey from Tony Parker

The San Antonio Express-News (Craig Kapitan) reports: Security guard turned Bexar County Jail inmate Christopher James Carolan pleaded no contest Friday to stealing an autographed Michael Jordan jersey from Spurs star Tony Parker. Carolan, who wore orange jail scrubs and handcuffs as he stood before 186th District Judge Maria Teresa Herr, was arrested in June after Parker’s manager showed sheriff’s office investigators a Craigslist ad for the jersey that was posted a day after the collectors’ item went missing. The jersey, valued at $20,000, was sold for $120, court documents indicate.

InsideHoops.com editor says: So the guy steals something and immediately advertises it for sale on the Internet. And then sells it for less than 1/10th the approximate going rate for the item.