The Bulls selected Reggie Theus with the No. 9 pick in the 1978 NBA Draft, and he made waves on and off the court during his five-plus seasons in Chicago.
Theus enjoyed a terrific rookie season, going for 16.3 points and 5.2 assists per game and a spot on the All-Rookie first team. He was even better in Year 2, with averages of 20.2 points, 6.3 assists and 4.0 rebounds per contest.
Theus’ numbers dipped in his third season, but he made his first All-Star Game and played in his only playoff games for Chicago. He notched 19.8 points, 6.3 assists and 3.5 rebounds in six postseason games.
Theus appeared in one more All-Star Game in 1983. That season he put up a career-high 23.8 points per game, but his Bulls tenure went downhill after that. New Bulls head coach Kevin Loughery jerked around Theus’ minutes at the start of the 1983-84 season, even benching the guard at times because of poor defense. The Bulls wound up trading Theus to the Kansas City Kings for Steve Johnson and three future second-round picks.
While Theus’ time with the Bulls ended poorly, his overall averages of 18.8 points and 5.6 assists per game are some of the best in team history. His scoring average ranks ninth and passing mark ranks fourth.
As for those off-court waves? Rush Street Reggie became a thing because of Theus’ active social life on Rush Street in downtown Chicago. This only helped his popularity among Bulls fans.