The Chicago Bulls are a long way from the glory days of the Michael Jordan era, which is evident in their retired numbers.
The Bulls only have seven retired numbers overall and all but two of them are associated in some way with that era.
It’s not only a testament to how great the Bulls were in the 1990’s but also to how bad they’ve been since, as there is there aren’t many newer cases to be made.
How many Chicago Bulls players have had their numbers retired?
Out of the seven retired “numbers” for the Bulls, only four of them were players.
Phil Jackson got his banner in the rafters as a coach, Jerry Krause as an executive and Johnny “Red” Kerr as a coach and broadcaster who was around the game for more than 60 years.
The four names that remain might surprise you.
Chicago Bulls retired numbers
Number | Player | Year retired |
|---|---|---|
4 | Jerry Sloan | 1978 |
10 | Bob Love | 1994 |
23 | Michael Jordan | 1994 |
33 | Scottie Pippen | 2006 |
Sloan was both a player and coach for the Bulls who made two All-Star games and three All-Defensive teams in Chicago over 10 seasons.
Bob Love played nine seasons in Chicago and was a 3-time All-Star who averaged 21.3 points, 6.8 rebounds in 592 games.
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen certainly need no introductions for what they did with the Bulls, dominating the 90’s with one of the best teams in the history of professional sports.
Four players in nearly 60 years isn’t great, so are there other Bulls who deserve the honor?
Should the Chicago Bulls retire Derrick Rose’s jersey?
Perhaps the most interesting case since the Jordan era is Derrick Rose, who was a 3-time All-Star who won the MVP once in his eight years in Chicago.
Rose’s career with Chicago was undone by injuries, as he was on pace to be one of the greats of his era. Even though he missed a ton of games, including most of two full seasons, Rose averaged 19.7 points, 6.2 assists and 3.7 rebounds over 406 career games with the Bulls.
Most fans will remember his electric 2010-11 season when he averaged 25 points, 7.7 assists and four rebounds per game on his way to an MVP as he led the Bulls to 62 wins and a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Overall, Rose didn’t have a ton of playoff success with Chicago, going 20-21 and never winning a championship.
It’s always been “what could have been” with Rose, but he still has a strong argument to have his number retired by the Bulls.
What about Dennis Rodman?
Another possibility would be Dennis Rodman, though he only played three seasons in Chicago. But they were three great seasons.
Rodman led the league in rebounding all three years, made the All-Defensive first team and was a key player on a team that won three titles.
The arguments against Rodman are that he only played three seasons in Chicago, won titles with other teams and has slowly evolved into a guy who is besties with North Korean dictators.
Both players are hurt by the fact that they don’t appear on any of the Bulls career leaders lists, mostly because of the lack of games played.
Should DRose have his jersey retired? How about Rodman? Is there someone else worthy of the honor?