Criminally underrated teammates of Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan: Orlando Woolridge
It is truly amazing that the former standout Bulls forward and the 6-foot-9 and 215-pound Louisiana native Orlando Woolridge never got a single All-Star nod in his NBA career. The sixth overall pick from the first round of the 1981 NBA Draft of the Bulls was a rock next to Jordan in his early days with the Bulls in the 1980s.
Woolridge would go on to spend five seasons with the Bulls, the longest amount of time he spent with any one team in his career. He would largely become an NBA journeyman following the end of his run with the Bulls. Woolridge played for more than five teams once his time with the Bulls was done.
Some of those teams included the Lakes, Pistons, New Jersey Nets, Sixers, and Denver Nuggets.
But the most productive years of Woolridge’s career would mostly come with the Bulls and Lakers. During his five seasons with the Bulls, Woolridge averaged a solid 17.4 points per game, 4.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.6 blocks. And he shot 53.2 percent from the field, 13.9 percent from beyond the arc, and 73.6 percent from the free-throw line.
It was hard to believe that Woolridge didn’t get an All-Star nod during Jordan’s rookie season. In 1984-85, Woolridge averaged roughly 23 points per game, six rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block.