The Chicago Bulls won six NBA championships during the nineties and would probably win more if they stayed together longer. You probably know all about Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, or Horace Grant, but there's a dark side to the Bulls dynasty roster. Today, we're going to talk about the unsung heroes – their teammates who were just there, passing the towels, or even serving as babysitters. Welcome to the top ten list of the worst Chicago Bulls Dynasty Players!
10. Joe Kleine (1997-98) - Taco Bell Joe
Joe Kleine was loved during his Chicago Bulls days
It's incredible to think that Joe Kleine was the 6th overall draft pick in 1985. He was ranked above Manute Bol, Joe Dumars, Charles Oakley, or even Karl Malone! As he won the Olympic gold the year before, the future looked bright for the seven-footer.
And what a career it was! Kleine somehow managed to stay in the NBA for 15 seasons, even though his contribution was minimal. The same thing happened during his time with the Bulls, although he managed to be a starter one time! Many Bulls fans will remember him as a guy who provided them with free Tacos!
9. Joe Courtney (1993) - The World Traveler
Joe Courtney had only a few good moments with the Bulls, including this dunk
Everyone could learn from Joe Kleine about staying in the NBA for a century without doing anything, but Joe Courtney also provides valuable lessons. Even though his professional playing career lasted for only a decade, he somehow managed to play for 20 teams! Courtney had a unique talent to effortlessly move from anonymous teams to the best NBA franchises. He was a part of the San Antonio Spurs and the Phoenix Suns when both clubs were championship contenders.
His first moment to shine came in 1993 when he was a Bulls member for the whole 20 days! He played five games for the team during the time and at least had some impact. Plus, he helped Michael Jordan earn an assist after his monstrous dunk. And yes, this video was uploaded by Joe Courtney himself!
8. Keith Booth (1997-98) - The Most Loyal Bulls Player Ever
Keith Booth spilling the truth about Michael Jordan
Unlike Michael Jordan, Keith Booth can say that he stayed loyal to the Chicago Bulls for his whole NBA career! Although, his entire NBA career was two seasons with the Bulls. Proving that the team's management wasn't perfect, he was selected in the first round of the draft in 1997. However, his role in the Bulls was limited, like extremely. He played only six games during the 1997-98 season and once even scored four points! At least he could have earned the title of the best free-throw shooter on the team, being 6/6 from the line.
But the most fantastic thing about Keith Booth was that even though he played only 17 minutes total for the season, he was there from the beginning to the end! Unfortunately, finding highlights of his time in Bulls proved difficult, but here he is talking about his days in Bulls, saying nasty things about MJ. Just kidding; he's a good guy.
7. Ricky Blanton (1993) - The Man Who Never Lost
Ricky Blanton never learned how it was to lose an NBA game
Hey, even the most successful NBA players in history had some tough seasons, including the dominant Michael Jordan. Still, Ricky Blanton is not among them! This fellow is one of the few players who won a title in every season of his NBA career. Not only that, Blanton never lost a game in the NBA, and all his wins were by at least 18 points! Just look at his outstanding performance against the Kings!
Okay, Blanton was a member of the Bulls for only 10 days, but he did win both of his games. In both of them, the Bulls annihilated their opponents by 18 points! His contribution was relatively modest, as he scored six points and had two steals for only 13 minutes in the game! He could probably do more, but we guess he figured out that his record-breaking performances would be overkill for already powerful Bulls.
6. Jo Jo English (1992) - Bulls, Bulls, Bulls
Jo Jo English demonstrates his boxing skills
If you were an avid Bulls fan in the nineties and still couldn't remember guys like Keith Booth or Ricky Blanton, that's OK. However, if you have no clue about Jo Jo English, there's something wrong with your memory! How could you ever forget a person with such a name? Like Blanton, he is also an NBA record-breaker, as he was signed by the Bulls three times! Unfortunately, no other NBA recognized his vast potential, even after he won an NBA championship.
You might be surprised, but Jo Jo English played 50 games for the Bulls, including seven playoff games, but his numbers were, well, not good. However, he was also an excellent boxer, showing his skills on Derek Harper in front of NBA commissioner David Stern. Unfortunately, this didn't happen during his championship-winning season, which of course, affected his ranking here.
5. David Vaughn III (1998) - The Man Who Schooled Michael Jordan
David Vaugh III schooled Michael Jordan with this brutal block
As the Bulls spent all of their money on Michael Jordan and the crew (except on poor Scottie Pippen, who played for peanuts), they always needed a cheap workforce. David Vaughn III was a perfect choice, and unlike some of his colleagues on this list, he also had decent NBA experience before joining the Bulls in 1998.
Vaughn showed all his talent in his debut against the Cavaliers when he was perfect from the field. Yes, he scored a single two-pointer from a single attempt, which was apparently enough for him. After only three games, he left the Bulls and played against them during the same season. Still, he was on the court for only about a minute. It looked like his vast experience with the Bulls didn't help him much. That's a shame, judging by how he destroyed Michael Jordan with one of the best blocks ever!
4. Matt Steigenga (1997) - Alley-Oop Master
Matt Steigenga knew how to make fans (try) to remember his name
Matt Steigenga is such a good guy that he wouldn't get mad at you because you are continually failing to pronounce his surname. After playing for some bizarrely-named teams such as Mitsubishi Diamond Dolphins, Steigenga finally got his moment to shine in 1997. Fortunate to know the assistant of the Bulls' general manager Jerry Krause, he decided to call her for some tickets. As the Bulls had many injured players, Krause offered him to sign the contract the next day! Of course, he accepted, and three days later, he was playing for the best team in the world!
As for his contribution, it was extra-modest. He played only two games (and earned $6000!) and scored three points. Still, his only field goal was this spectacular alley-oop dunk! Steigenga (yes, we use copy/paste for his surname to avoid errors) stayed with the team as a practice player. Never before or after he was in the NBA, although he briefly signed for the Bulls again in 1999.
3. Chuck Nevitt - Human Victory Cigar (1991)
Chuck Nevitt's even won an NBA title in 1985 while at the Lakers
We didn't have to use our creativity for the subtitle, as when your nickname is Human Victory Cigar, it's hard to figure out something better. Known also as Chuck E. Cheese, Charles "Chuck "Nevitt stayed in the NBA for respectable nine seasons, mostly because of his size (7 ft 5 in). What's impressive is that he played only around 15 games per season, which probably puts him in an elite circle of record-breakers with Jo Jo English and Ricky Blanton.
When he was signed by the Bulls, he brought them what they didn't have – a man who knows how to win championships, as he had one with the Lakers in 1985. Still, lets politely say that his contribution wasn't really noticeable. He contributed a grand total of nine minutes in four games and even scored two points before walking into the sunset.
2. Rory Sparrow (1991) - The Sharpshooter
Rory Sparrow in his best career game
There's no doubt about it, Rory Sparrow had a decent NBA career, much better than all other guys on this list! Not only did he stayed in the league for a decade, but he also has a career average of nine points and five assists. These are not huge numbers, but Chuck Nevitt would kill for them! His 1991 stint with the Bulls was his second one, as he also was with the team three years earlier.
Four games and 19 days later, Sparrow was fired after scoring a single field goal from eight attempts. And no, before you ask, he and the Human Victory Cigar never played together. Unfortunately, we can only imagine this dynamic duo that could put MJ and Pippen to shame if given a chance. No highlights of his Bulls career, but here's Rory in one of his best performances!
1. Jack Haley (1995-96) - The Babysitter & Cheerleader
Jack Haley in his only Chicago Bulls game
When the Bulls signed Dennis Rodman in 1995, they knew they'd got a highly unstable individual. So, what they did was to also bring someone who knew how to handle him. Enter Jack Haley, who played with Rodman for David Robinson-lead San Antonio Spurs in two previous seasons.. Haley's contribution on the court was almost non-existent, but he had the talent to calm down Rodman.
During his tenure in the Bulls, he did the same, sticking to Rodman on the bench and even joining him after the games. After spending the season on the injury list, he got his chance to shine in the regular season's final game. In seven minutes, he scored glorious five points, even though he missed four shots. Luckily, the Bulls didn't need his service in the playoffs, where he could be seen on occasions, cheering for his team like a madman. Unfortunately, Haley died very young, at 51. Even though he is the worst Chicago Bulls dynasty player, he'll forever be a part of history.
We guess this top ten gives us all a totally new perspective of the Bulls dynasty. Heck, put together, these ten guys would make a decent team! Okay, that's a stretch, but let's say that God knows if the Bulls would win six titles without their contribution. Those informed about the butterfly effect know that we're speaking the truth!
What are your favorite obscure Chicago Bulls players? For how many of these guys have you heard? Speak to us in the comments section!