While refusing to get into a war of words with Dwyane Wade, Bulls general manager Gar Forman defended his organization's loyalty after the Heat's All-Star guard questioned it to the Tribune's Fred Mitchell on Wednesday.
"Anyone who would question loyalty of our organization is misinformed," Forman said in a phone interview. "That absolutely ignores our record, which speaks for itself. We have a number of ex-players employed in a variety of capacities, from the front office to the coaching staff to our business office as part of our broadcasting teams. We take pride not only in how we treat our current players but how we treat our former players."
John Paxson, Bill Cartwright, B.J. Armstrong, Randy Brown, Pete Myers, Bill Wennington, Stacey King and Sidney Green are just a partial list of ex-Bulls who have been employed by the organization in some capacity.
Photo: GM Gar Forman says the Bulls are a team on the rise. (Chris Walker / Tribune)
"What's more important in regards to this summer is that winning is the most important thing," Forman said. "I'd reiterate that with our talented young core and flexibility we've created, we're set up to have great success here for many years."
The issue came to light when Wade, a suburban product, questioned whether the fact neither Michael Jordan nor Scottie Pippen remain in the organization would have an effect on free agency this summer. Wade is a free agent, and the Heat, like the Bulls, own enough money to offer a maximum free-agent contract.
Wade simply said what people has been saying for years, and if it was not the truth,why has chicago not had a super star player(other than drafting Rose)since MJ & Scottie,I'll tell you....They want come, look at the product they have put on the court, look how they gave Ben Wallace all that money for nothing. So I say good for you D Wade for telling the truth, and letting people aboard know why the Bulls probably will not land James, or himself, and for the front office to straighten there act up, or they will burn rose out, and never get back to the finials.Maybe the owner should be fired.
Reinsdorf didn't pick Krause over Jackson. Jackson wanted more control over personnel and when he didn't get it he left. The Bulls also pretty much told MJ that they would hire any coach he wanted for as long as he wanted to play. That included bringing Jackson back -- but as the coach, not adding the GM title (how many cases are there that the dual role was a disaster? good coaches are not necessarily good GMs -- in fact it usually ends up badly). MJ said he only wanted to play for Jackson -- but did he play for Phil in Washington? No. Instead he got a piece of the team so he accepted playing for another team -- I love MJ but that doesn't demonstrate loyalty to me.
I think Jackson is a great coach - especially when it comes to getting truly talented players to fit together. BUT -- he left Chicago saying he was tired of coaching and then came back with the Lakers after one season. He wasn't exactly totally open and truthful about why he left. As far as I know he has never admitted publicly that he wanted the GM role and that he left because the Bulls would not give it to him. As much as people dislike Krause, if I'm Reinsdorf I say "if it aint broke, don't fix it... let's keep MJ on the court, Phil on the sidelines, and Krause in the front office and keep winning". Krause ended up screwing things up after MJ retired, but he had earned a chance to try at that point -- not be pushed out by the coach.
That whole situation actually shows that the Bulls are extremely loyal -- to players as well as management and staff. If they weren't they would have fired Krause and moved Jackson into the dual role just to keep one guy happy (Jackson).
Good observation D-Wade. And if you think it's the just the observation of D-Wade and not others, you're wrong. All of the GREAT players are gone and make it very clear that they have no interest in returning. You don't see many Lakers, Knicks, Pistons.. sitting on opposing team benches...unless it's a promotion Bench warmers don't count. Sorry Stacey King, Myers, Brown. Kukoc, Armstrong, Grant, Rodman, Pippen, MJ Kerr are long gone with no desire to return. Oh yea, and let's not forget Phil.
By Sam Smith | asksam@bulls.com | 05.27.10 | 5:05 p.m. CT
Bulls General Manager Gar Forman defended the loyalty of the Bulls organization to its former players in light of damning comments in Thursday’s Chicago Tribune by Miami’s Dwyane Wade that the Bulls are a disloyal organization.
Wade Thursday in Florida backed off the comments a bit, though the feeling among some around the NBA was Wade was put up to the tactic because the Bulls are such a serious contender for the top free agents, whom Wade is trying to recruit for his team.
It’s possible the NBA will take action again Wade for his apparent anti-competitive comments, given the league has rules against tampering for players as well as team executives. The NBA has yet to take action against a player or determine how those rules will be applied.
“Anyone who would question our loyalty is obviously misinformed,” said Forman. “It ignores our record, which speaks for itself. We have a number of former players who are or who have been employed in the organization in a variety of capacities ranging from the front office to the coaching staff to the business office and part of our broadcast team.
“We take great pride in not only how we treat our current players, but also how we treat our former players,” said Forman.
“In regards to the summer, what the players are saying is winning is most important,” said Forman. “We believe with our talented young nucleus of players and the flexibility we’ve created to add to that core, we’re set up to have great success here for many years to come.”
Forman declined to say whether the Bulls would do anything regarding Wade’s incendiary and accusatory comments.
Wade Thursday squirmed some about his comments in telling the Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel his comments that, "I see Michael Jordan is not there, Scottie Pippen is not there… So that is probably one of the biggest things for me, because I am a very loyal person" were taken “out of proportion.”
Wade said it was the childhood Bulls fan in him that led to the concerns about Jordan not remaining with the organization.
"I only know, as a fan, from the outside looking in and so I don't know what's going on," he said. "All I know is that my favorite player of all time is not there, so I'm wondering why, as a fan. Besides that, I think everything was maybe taken out proportion.
"I don't know about their loyalty because I haven't been in their organization," Wade said of the Bulls. "The only organization I have been in is in Miami, so I do know the front office, I do know the loyalty of this team and that's what's big to me. It's not just about basketball, and what can I do for them. It's about when this game is over, what kind of relationship are we going to have? That's what I'm speaking more so than anything, so the question was posed to me about Chicago, and . . . I said I don't know about Chicago, because I don't know the organization, I only know as a fan, from the outside looking in."
"I'm not taking shots at the Bulls, and the organization," Wade said. "I respect the organization, I respect every organization in the NBA. It's just that my opinion when the question was asked about what's most important to you, I said one of the most important things is loyalty. It's not that I'm taking shots at the Bulls, or I'm taking shots at any organization."
The irony, of course, is the Heat seems to be one of the least welcoming organizations to its former players.
Only three former players remain part of the organization, and in minor roles. There is no former Heat player in a significant or high profile position in the organization. They’re mostly minor contributors, like Alonzo Mourning, John Crotty and Keith Askins.
Plus, despite the work he’s done the last few seasons, coach Eric Spoelstra already is being discussed for jobs as team president Pat Riley again said he may come back to coach. Plus, it was no secret how Riley ran out coach Stan Van Gundy after a 59-win season so Riley could have a shot to take the team to a championship once Shaquille O’Neal returned from injury.
If you compare it with the Bulls, there seems little obvious comparison of which franchise has been more loyal and supportive of its former players.
Randy Brown and Pete Myers are on the coaching staff. Stacey King is the main TV analyst. John Paxson is the Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, probably the highest ranking official in the organization in a true decision making position, of which the Heat never entrust any former player. Bill Wennington is the radio analyst.
Wade made a point of mentioning Jordan and Pippen, and Jordan basically wanted to be owner or run the basketball operations, but a former Bull already was running the team. As for Pippen, the Bulls gave him a sign-and-trade when they didn’t have to in 1999 so he could earn an extra $30 million on his contract and brought him back with a $10 million contract at a time in his career when he could no longer play. He’s since been a regular at Bulls functions, like their annual golf outing, and is a regular contributor to the team’s web site, Bulls.com.
Plus, check Miami’s list of former coaches—you won’t find a former player, but the Bulls have had Bill Cartwright and Jerry Sloan as coaches. B.J. Armstrong was a front office executive and now represents Derrick Rose.
Bob Love has been a longtime Bulls executive, and Johnny Kerr, though never a Bulls player, but the first Bulls coach, became virtually synonymous with the organization with a job for more than three decades. Norm Van Lier did team pre and postgame broadcasts. Sidney Green recently became big man coach, which followed another former Bull, Mike Brown.
If anything, the Bulls have been accused of being too loyal.
There isn’t an organization in the NBA with top executives who have been with the organization as long: Executive Vice President of Business Operations Steve Schanwald, 23 years; Senior Vice President Financial and Legal Irwin Mandel, 38 years; Vice President of Ticket Sales Keith Brown, 27 years; Controller Stu Bookman 25 years; Senior Director of Public and Media Relations Tim Hallam 33 years, Senior Director of Community Relations Dave Kurland 21 years; Senior Director of Ticket Operations Joe O’Neal 30 years. They encompass the top senior management of the team.
The shocking part of this was that at a time when the Heat is in competition with the Bulls and other teams in free agency this summer that Wade would launch a personal attack on the organization without having any facts, but a personal bias.
So much for gentlemanly competition and let the best organization win.
It suggests, apparently, Wade believes the Bulls are in a much better position than his Heat to attract top free agents, but also this far before July 1 suggests this could become an ugly process that the league will have to more closely monitor.
Well, I guess there could be at least one free agent the Bulls won’t be courting. Of course, if he apologizes, I suppose things could change. And if Wade does want a career with his team after his playing career is over, maybe he should consider the Bulls. Heck, this whole thing may be a boon for the Bulls, as maybe Wade will look at the facts and reconsider and decide to sign with the Bulls. Certainly, having been a member of the Miami Heat doesn't seem to do much for your future.
Just a reminder- from 1999 to 2002 the Bulls compiled the worst three year winning pct of any non-expansion team in NBA history. Jerry Krause was responsible for bringing EVERY one of the players and coaches on those three debacles to Chicago.
In 1999, Reinsdorf chose Krause and his wish to "prove he could do it without Michael" over Phil Jackson, which led to MJ retiring. What, exactly Krause wanted to do without MJ is anybody's guess. What he did do, was build the worst three year team of any established franchise in league history.
No one has come anywhere near matching that since then.
No one.
Zoolander can male model and be the fashion diva of the NBA from Miami if he's ignorant enough to question the Bulls' loyalty.
MJ has always wanted to own a team - was Jerry supposed to sell the team to him for the sake of loyalty?
Pip could have any job with the organization short of head coach or gm - is that not enough loyalty?
If Zoolander thinks Miami is loyal and he would like to take advantage of that by being in charge of Miami's team photo shoot and apparel consultant, then he should stay put and enjoy playing with Carlos Boozer for the next 5 years - correction, for 2 of those 5 years b/c Boozer will claim an injury for 3 of those years.
I have said the Bulls are not loyal for years. Jordan and Pippen not there???? Pippen had 3 good years after he left the bulls. In that familiar Triangle he would have been even more productive. Pip, Kukoc,Rodman,Kerr etc,..would have been very competitive during that period. Then when Pippen was finished playing...he should have been the head coach. He was always considered the coach on the floor. Who better to coach. Matter of fact...bring Pip in right now to coach!!! the bulls screwed up everything because of lack of loyalty.
Wade is a winner no matter what comments he made. He practically won the finals all by himself. Maybe he just giving a hint to the Bulls organization for them to see what kind of treatment he expects from them, or maybe he did Lebron a favor to get him top-notch treatment. There's gotta be a reason even Phil Jackson doesn't want to go back to the bulls.
Another thing I haven't seen mentioned, was how Reisndorf dealt with the Jay Williams incident. Apparently Reinsdorf was advised by the NBA that he didn't owe Jay Williams anything since he violated his contract. However, Reinsdorf gave him 3 million anyways just to help set him up for life. I honestly don't think many other clubs would have done that.
Reinie as Madoff? Follow the full line and it stinks of anti-Semitism. He is loyal to a fault. Why do you think Pax still has a job? Because he knows talent? Right.
Wade is tampering, and should be fined. He has no intention of coming to Chicago, and wants to make sure FA come play with him instead of DRose.
Overrated? Not. But he is a bad fit with Rose. Lebron works, as does Bosh.
Both puts us in the finals.
And just what are the Bulls supposed to do to show loyalty to Michael Jordan? What does Wade have in mind? Let the Bobcats win a few games?
Maybe the Suns too, whose president is Steve Kerr.
Bulls are classless and super cheap organization, and everyone around NBA knows that. Any questions?
I agree w/ Ogyu...Wade is most likely staying in Miami, but anybody else thinks he might be saying this to try to persuade other guys from signing w/ the Bulls? I hope he isn't but the more I think about it, it does seem like he is trying to screw the Bulls. They fined Cuban/Mavs for talking about LeBron James, they should fine Wade for talking smack about the Bulls. I like D Wade's game but I'm a Bulls fan first and Wade is a punk the more I think about it for saying this.
Just a reminder - The Bulls won 6 championships in 8 years between 1991 and 1998. With the exception of Michael Jordan Jerry Krause was responsible for bringing EVERY one of the players and coaches on all 6 of those teams to Chicago.
Between 1991 and 1998 there was a 83% turnover in the players - 10 out of 12. Granted it doesn't hurt if your remaining 17% are named Jordan and Pippen but that is STILL a very impressive accomplishment.
No one has come anywhere near matching that since then.
No one.
Jordan - with his ego - is there anyone out there who can seriously suggest he would settle for anything less than Emperor in the Bulls organization?
Has he done anything in the other organizations he has been part of since he left Chicago?
Pippen - where would he fit in? And after Jerry Krause gave him a 5 year $100 mil contract and traded him to Houston to play with Barkley did he ever say thanks? No.
After the 1998 season Jordan told Krause that he was retiring, Jackson got on his bike and headed off into the sunset - is anyone seriously suggesting that the rebuilding should be centered on Pippen? he was damaged goods.
I used to think of Wade as a class act. No longer.
Duane needs to learn some loyalty to his wife. Can he spell it?
But I forgot to add...Mr. Reinsdorf is loyal to the investors in the Chicago Bulls. And isn't that what America is all about. $$$$$$$$
It is not competition...its the Almighty Dollar!
But its also great that peons like me get to say what I think.
Thanks!
@The Hank
Are you an idiot? Are you just plain out stupid? What has Dwyane Wade to deserve a max contract? Oh I'll answer that. He has a fricking ring, something not even LeBron's won yet, Finals MVP Award and multi-year All Star. He's the 2nd best shooting guard in the league behind Kobe, and he's a more complete player than Kobe because he can defend much better and has more of an inside game. This guy has Hall of Fame potential if he keeps his numbers like they are until retirement. And you say what has he done to deserve a max contract. Do some frickin research you idiot wow I've never heard such retarded comments in my life. I think you're the one that should rot.
How many of these people in the organization are black? How many actually made the Bulls what they are today. D Wade wouldn't make a statement like that without someone from the organization telling him this. I think its good that he speaks his mind. Just like MJ spoke his mind when he was inducted in the hall of fame. MJ said it the best when he said players when championships and not coaches.
Will Perdue had some interesting thoughts on ESPN Radio tonight.
He said:
1)the Bulls were too loyal to Krause for the championships and left him there too long.
2) In Jordan's last two years, Reinsdorf signed him to one-year contracts for over $30mm a year. (granted one could argue Jordan was underpaid before then, but Reinsdorf never had to do this nonetheless).
3) Reinsdorf asked Jordan if he wanted to be part of Bulls organization when he retired. He declined.
4) When Jordan left to play minor league baseball, Reinsdorf continued to pay him his NBA salary.
5) Note all of the former players who have been with the Bulls during the last 10 years.
Jerry Reinsdorf is the Bernie Madoff of professional sports.
He has been sucking Bulls fans dry for the last 12 years. He blew up the best team Chicago ever had. And served up teams that wouldn't qualify for the NCAA tournament.
Making money like he was printing it in his basement. By my estimates he has made a profit of at least a half of Billion dollars that last decade.
And like Bernie Madoff most of his suckers have been members of the Jewish community.
First of all, anybody that says that Dwayne Wade is overrated and not one of the top Free agents this summer is sadly mistaken or misinformed and severely overreacting. Wade is the second best FA this summer and is definitely one of the top 5 players in the NBA. And if he decided to pull a 180 and come to the Bulls, I'd take him in a heartbeat and so should each one of you because he'd get you closer to winning a championship.
Secondly, claiming the Bulls didn't show loyalty to the last two coaches (Skiles and DelNegro) is pure dumb. Skiles lost his team and VDN didn't know what he was doing.
That being said, what Dwayne Wade said was clearly wrong and stupid and very hypocritical. Then his backtracking was even worse. Saying that he wasn't taking shots at the Bulls is clearly a bunch of bull because he called the organization out by name and he specified two players in Jordan and Pippen as well.
With all this, it seems to be that Dwayne Wade is not coming to Chicago. His comments were pure posturing, trying to negate some of the incredible media hype (and rightly so) of Chicago being the only destination that would lead to championships.
While Gar did what we all thought he was going to do, I would have had Derrick Rose come out to defend the organization. Like it or not, I believe others in the league share Wade's perception of the Bulls organization, no matter how misinformed it is. THe only way to negate this notion is to have your franchise player (Rose) come out and strongly urge otherwise. Rose doesn't need to get into any war of words but his strong defense of the Bulls would have been a much stronger message than Forman.
Barkley didn't help either when he was crusading for his friend Vinny DelNegro and chastised the Bulls for their treatment of him. I'm sure that didn't help the image as well as Paxson going postal either. The fact is... VDN deserved to get fired and the Bulls now need a clear message to all FA out there about their organization. It should be spearheaded by Rose.
I'm still holding out hope for LBJ and Bosh and Byron Scott as head coach. Bulls every move from now on needs to be on point and professional.
Does anyone else think looks just like Jim Neighbors in that photo? But seriously, the Bulls have shown a lot loyalty to former players. Their staff is loaded with them. MJ wanted to be an owner, something he never would have been in Chicago. I love Scottie Pippen but he suffered from foot in mouth disease. They still signed him to a two year contract after really had nothing left in the tank. D-Wade is just trying to bad mouth other suiters for Lebron. It's pretty messed up, i definitely lost some respect for him.
And I dont want Wade either, however Bulls fans should get pissed at what he is saying because if you hadnt heard the reports, Him, Bosh, Johnson, and Lebron are going to have a meeting and discuss where they are going to go, and Wade might say bad things about the Bulls to them, which might sway there opinion of the organization.
Take a minute and think about this. Of all the jerseys retired by the Bulls, which one of those players work in the organization? None of the GREATEST Bulls worhty of having their jersey retired work in the organization. The Bulls have shown no appreciation to it's GREATEST players to keep them apart of the organization in some compacity, which gives some creditability to what Mr Wade said. Think about it.
Actually Gar looks like the cartoon version of Loydd from the end of that cartoon Who framed Roger Rabbit? Anyways does Wade know that MJ is the owner of the Bobcates? Guess not. Does he remember how when Pippen was in the downfall of his career and couldnt really play anymore that the Bulls signed him to a lucrative contract, just to sit on the bench and teach players and be a Bull again? There is a such thing, Dwayne, as guys moving on to other buisness ventures in there life after basketball. What does he expect? For every former player to stick around and have a job for the team even if they are qualified for much higher positions?
If I was picking Free Agents for the Bulls I would say DUUUWAYNEE is maybe 5th or 6th on the list. Bottom line he doesn't make a team better by his presence. People dis Kirk Heinrich but I would say he is just a notch below Wadee and he can defend. I personally would take Bosch, David Lee, and Joe Johnson as better fits for the Bulls before Sir A-hole Duane. Lebron while the best will cost the Bulls their soul to get.
Any chance that Mr Wade is upset because the Bulls dont care a bit about signing him!
Loyalty on the Bulls? Are you kidding me? After the way they treated Skiles and Del Negro and this cronie on the Bulls Forman is saying there is loyalty?
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
MJ was a great influence on Tiger
What has Duwaine Wack Wade done anything to deserve a max contract? answer? NOTHING. Let him die a slow and miserable death in MIAMI with Pat Riley They deserve each other,
I think D-Wade should get his head examined by questioning the Bulls loyalty and referring to himself as a “Loyal Guy”. Mr. Wade are you the person who cheated on and beat your wife? Is this being loyal to your wife and your two kids? Mr. Wade should look at all the former Bull players who are still in the organization before he opens his uninformed mouth. I hope the Bulls do not even consider signing this overrated athlete.
Also Gar looks like an old John Cusak with an over-active pituitary gland.
Right, Gar. The Bulls are loyal to toadies like you. But why!? Who are you? You're a Tim Floyd leftover. Why are you even involved with the Bulls?