Chicago Bulls: 30 greatest players in franchise history

John Paxson has been a member of the Bulls for nearly every season since he signed as a free agent all the way back in 1985. Paxson spent nine years with the organization as a player before retiring in 1994, then he returned as an assistant coach under Phil Jackson for the historic 1995-96 campaign. Paxson soon became a member of the radio broadcasting team before joining the front office in 2003, where he remains to this day.

As a player, Paxson went through the trials and tribulations of Michael Jordan’s Bulls before they finally broke through for their first championship in 1991. The 6-foot-2 guard started every game in the 1990-91 season, and he capped off the year by hitting multiple key shots down the stretch of Game 5 of the NBA Finals to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers.

Paxson was again the starter next to Michael Jordan during the 1991-92 season, and he ran out the clock on the Bulls’ back-to-back titles. Paxson moved to a bench role behind B.J. Armstrong the following year, but the veteran guard finished that season by hitting one of the biggest shots in Bulls history:

Paxson never put up big numbers, but his steady presence as a shooter and passer was important as the Bulls went from an up-and-coming team to a dynasty. He shot 50.0 percent from the field as a Bull, including 36.3 percent from long range. His 645 games as a Bull are the fifth-most in team history, and he’s fourth in effective field goal percentage at 53.0 percent.