Although the Chicago Bulls have been hesitant to forever retire jersey numbers in the past, if you look up to the rafters in the United Center, you’ll see two of the four jerseys belong to guards. For a team with such a prestigious past, it takes a really special player to make their place in franchise history.
For that reason, I thought it a worthwhile experiment to compile a list of the 10 best guards to ever play for the Chicago Bulls. If we put all the genius playmaking point guards and electric three-level scoring shooting guards in the same bag, which players would have the greatest lasting legacies?
Considering the Bulls have existed as a franchise for 57 years and counting, I had hundreds of guards to sift through and examine before coming to my conclusion. There were several players I’d have loved to mention, but its these 10 players who undoubtedly stand tall above the rest
Dating back to 1967, many legendary guards have played for the Chicago Bulls.
But first, I’d still like to give a quick shoutout to a handful of some of the most important and talented guards that we’ve seen play for the Bulls. They may not have made the top 10 list, but they deserve a little shine on the side.
Honorable Mentions
- Steve Kerr
- Ron Harper
- Jamal Crawford
- Jalen Rose
- John Paxson
Without further ado, let’s dig into the top 10 guards to ever play for the Chicago Bulls.
10. Ben Gordon
If you’ve been watching the Chicago Bulls long enough, you’d know that Ben Gordon is one of the most dynamic and polarizing players to ever don the red and white. Long before the three-point movement was ever energized by Steph Curry, Gordon was chucking up ridiculous bombs from deep at an unbelievable clip.
After being drafted third overall in 2004, Gordon would go on to post an incredible 19.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game on a ridiculous 40.4% clip from deep. This was simply unheard of at the time, and Gordon’s electric offensive ability made the Bulls one of the most exciting teams to watch at the time.
However, he’d leave for Detroit after five years in Chicago, where his career would take an immediate downturn. Had he remained in Chicago, it’s entirely possible that Gordon could have maintained his play and be remembered as a critical piece of the Rose-era Bulls — a team whose biggest weakness was their lack of a shooting guard that could consistently score alongside Rose.
Unlike Gordon, B.J. Armstrong was a big part of one of the winningest periods in Chicago Bulls history.
9. B.J. Armstrong
I previously wrote about how Chicago selected a total draft bust in the class of 1989. Fortunately, the Bulls had two first-round picks that year and would redeem their selection of Stacey King at No. 6 by taking B.J. Armstrong with the 18th pick. Although he’d spend just six seasons with the Bulls, it’s difficult finding a role player that started their career off in as good of a situation and achieved as much as Armstrong.
Collecting three championship rings in ’91, ’92, and ’93 and an All-Star selection in ’94, Armstrong proved he was a valuable piece to those championship teams. To the dismay of Bulls fans everywhere, Armstrong would be stolen away by Toronto in the 1995 expansion draft, before Jordan could return for the second three-peat run. Had the Raptors not taken B.J., he may have ended up much higher on this list.
Also, here’s a fun fact: The Bulls traded away the pick that became Armstrong for Scottie Pippen in 1987, before trading Brad Sellers to get the pick back in 1989. That means Chicago essentially swapped a mid-level role player in Sellers for two NBA legends in Pippen and Armstrong in the span of just two years.
8. Kirk Hinrich
One of the most beloved players in recent memory, every real Chicago Bulls fan will have nothing but great things to say about Kirk Hinrich. After a series of awful draft selections in the post-Jordan era, Hinrich came as a breath of fresh air and paved the way for other impactful rookies Ben Gordon and Luol Deng to be drafted to the team just one year later.
Playing for the Bulls for 10.5 seasons, there is a whole generation of Bulls fans who know “Captain Kirk” as their trusty point guard. Although he’d never receive any All-Star attention, Hinrich was widely renowned as an above-average guard for the majority of his career. He’d be selected to the 2004 All-Rookie Team and later the 2007 All-Defensive Team, before retiring in 2016 after a long and successful career.
Kirk Hinrich and Reggie Theus are two huge draft-day success stories for the Chicago Bulls.
7. Reggie Theus
He may not have had the long tenure that Hinrich had with the Bulls, but Reggie Theus‘ peak was so impressive that he still finds himself firmly among the top ten guards in Chicago Bulls history. Although he played just five and a half seasons in Chicago during his long career, his only two All-Star appearances came with the Bulls.
“Riverboat Reggie” was absolutely electric coming out of the gate after being selected ninth overall in 1978. His best season saw him average 23.8 points, 5.9 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game. Unfortunately for Theus, he’d be traded away just one year before the arrival of Michael Jordan; however, it’s interesting to think had the Bulls never traded Theus away in the first place, they’d never have been bad enough to get the No. 3 overall pick in 1984 in the first place.
6. Zach LaVine
After inking a five-year max extension and the largest contract in Chicago Bulls history, there’s still plenty of time for Zach LaVine to move up the ranks on this list. If he got this far in just five years with the team, it’s interesting to ponder just where he might rank with another five years of All-Star caliber play under his belt.
As it currently stands, LaVine’s made his name in the league as a Bull and people are finally starting to take notice. He’s made the All-Star team in each of the last two seasons and has clearly become one of the league’s top shooting guards. If he can remain healthy and continue averaging 25 points on excellent efficiency, it’s not hard to think he could break into the top 3 for most All-Star appearances of any player on this list.
Zach LaVine and Norm Van Lier played in very different eras, but both are crucial pieces of Chicago Bulls’ history.
5. Norm Van Lier
Norm Van Lier is one of those players that has such an impressive resume that it’s almost a surprise that he’s not a Hall of Fame inductee. With 7 of his 10 NBA seasons coming with Chicago, “Stormin’ Norman” left an imprint that’s hard to forget.
Van Lier was a defensive menace during his time in the league, earning eight All-Defensive Team selections in his decade-long career. He also garnered three All-Star nods and a single All-NBA nomination in 1974. He even took home the league’s assist title in 1971, albeit that came one year before he joined up with the Bulls. Van Lier’s multi-dimensional game has him among the five best guards in Bulls history, and I don’t think anyone would (or should) protest his placement here.
4. Jerry Sloan
Although the Jerry Sloan era came long before most Bulls fans began tuning in — and certainly before I ever watched my first game — it’s impossible to deny the immense impact he’s had on Chicago’s franchise history.
After growing up in southern Illinois and spending 10 of his 11 NBA seasons with the Bulls, Sloan thoroughly engrained himself in the team’s culture and perfectly encapsulated the image of a Midwestern success story. He’d earn two All-Star appearances and a staggering six All-Defensive Team selections for his stellar play.
In the five-year period from 1971 to 1975, Sloan teamed up with fellow Bulls legend Chet Walker to produce one of the most successful eras in franchise history. Chicago achieved a record of 260-150 in that span, advancing to the Conference Semi-Finals each time and even making two Conference Finals trips. Unfortunately, these years overlapped with the Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West Lakers teams and would yield no championships.
Although his best years came after leaving the team, Jimmy Butler is among the best guards in Chicago Bulls history.
3. Jimmy Butler
Since leaving the Chicago Bulls after six years of impeccable service, Jimmy Butler has bounced all around the league including stops at Minnesota, Philadelphia, and now finding his resting place with Miami. Everywhere he’s gone, success has followed him.
Chicago is no exception here, as the unexpected development of Butler radically affected the team’s long-term plans. With the Bulls, Butler racked up a variety of accolades including three All-Star selections, two All-Defensive Team nods, a Most Improved Player award, and an All-NBA nomination in 2017.
That year saw Butler average a stellar 23.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.5 assists coupled with his typical dominant defense. Unfortunately, Chicago would signal an attempt to rebuild by trading Butler away. He’s since tallied up an additional three All-Star and All-NBA selections, a steals title, and has recently single-handedly carried the Heat to NBA Finals. Not committing to Jimmy will forever be one of the biggest “What if?” hypothetical scenarios for Bulls fans.
2. Derrick Rose
As one of only two MVPs in Chicago Bulls history, Derrick Rose was always going to be near the top of this list. Although we never had the chance to witness Rose realize his full potential, the electric start to his career will forever remain an unforgettable memory for a whole generation of Bulls fans.
Having averaged 25 points, 7.7 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game during his MVP campaign, Rose was the sole offensive engine for a defensively-oriented Bulls team that finished with the NBA’s best record.
It’s difficult to say just where his career may have taken him had a multitude of knee injuries not hampered his development, but he still did enough in his eight-year tenure in Chicago to slot in firmly at the second spot on this list.
The best guard in Chicago Bulls history is, and likely always will be, none other than Michael Jordan.
1. Michael Jordan
This article could be named almost anything else, and the name here at the top would remain the same. Top 10 best athletes in Chicago pro sports history? Top 10 best shoes? Top 10 best documentaries? 10 best guards in NBA history? Or the 10 best players in general?
The answer remains the same. 100 years from now, the answer will in all likelihood still be the same. It is, and always will be, Michael Jordan.