In case you missed it:
It was great seeing so many of the Bulls from that 1990-91 team back. It was especially great seeing Pip and MJ out there all smiles and good feelings. If you’ve read The Jordan Rules by Sam Smith, then you know that championship season was rocky from the beginning to the end. There were fights and tantrums and battles with management. MJ once said “The triangle is killing me.” Phil Jackson was threatened by Scott Williams.
This season’s Miami Heat have made a lot of news for their on and off the court drama. But the 1990-91 Bulls were a soap opera that dwarfs anything the Heat could even imagine. But the great thing about history is that is smiles on winners and softens hard feelings.
At any rate, it was a chill-inducing ceremony, a reminder of good times, and, hopefully, a harbinger of more good times to come.
Random thoughts after my attendance to the festivities:
1) Why didn’t this ceremony happen against the Lakers so that Phil could attend? I’ve heard that was the original plan and that MJ couldn’t attend, but I purchased the tickets for this game the day tix went on sale in October knowing the ceremony was against the Jazz. Something is amiss.
2) Why wasn’t Reinsdorf there? And furthermore…was Krause invited? No one has made mention of his absence yet…
3) I’m surprised that BJ missed the ceremony, especially considering he’s Rose’s agent.
4) I’m glad Horace received a screaming ovation, but have people forgotten that he pulled a LeBron James on us?
5) The stadium was so loud when MJ was speaking that it was hard to hear him (at least in the nosebleeds where I was sitting).
6) I loved how MJ mentioned Johnny Red…great moment.
7) I was waiting for Ray Clay to come out of the woodworks to announce the starting lineups. I’m highly disappointed this never happened.
8) Of all the games the Bulls give away promotions, how is it possible that there wasn’t some sort of commemorative promotion giveaway at the gates for this game? I was hoping for a replica newspaper or a tee shirt or a bobblehead…something!
9) I saw Sam Smith at the beginning of the game, but it didn’t look like the players were speaking to him. I know Sam’s ‘Jordan Rules’ book was edgy and probably struck the wrong chord with some players, but does anyone know if there is truly bad blood there between Sam and the old teams as a result?
10) Overall, totally surreal moment. It was really, really fun to watch. As Matt noted, this wasn’t just a tumultuous year. Had the team not won the championship, I imagine this team would have been blown up just because of egos and chemistry. But seeing them all together after all these years, they seemed genuinely happy to be together again. As Michael and Scottie alluded to, the old saying applies: sometimes you don’t know how special something is until it’s gone.
I have no idea why a smiley face popped up where an ‘8’ should be. Weird.
I loved seeing the ’91 Bulls and the ’11 Bulls in the same building! It felt like a Homecoming reunion, with the alumni returning to their alma mater and the young guys putting on a good show for them in the Homecoming game.
“4) I’m glad Horace received a screaming ovation, but have people forgotten that he pulled a LeBron James on us?”
Horace did not “pull a LeBron”. To say he did cheapens what Cavs fans just experienced. We lost a very good player, not the guy we had just spent 7 years convincing our kids was going to be the hero who will finally bring a title to a city that doesn’t know the feeling.
Greg – I’m sorry if you are offended by my analogous hyperbole. I understand your frustration with LeBron: I think he’s a scumbag for doing what he did to Cleveland and Cavs fans. I even drove to and from Cleveland on December 2, 2010 just to boo his ass every time he touched the ball. (I live in Chicago. And I had to work at 7:30 the next morning. It was worth the trip.)
But seriously, get off your high horse and relax. (And if you are from Cleveland and still seething, I immediately redact my previous statement.)
Let’s go with this:
I’m glad Horace received a screaming ovation, but have people forgotten that he pulled a poor man’s LeBron James on us?