As a die-hard Bulls fan, I (the BF) was taken aback by comments made this week by Dwayne Wade in regards to teams he might play for next season — one being Chicago. Here are some of his comments from an interview with the Chicago Tribune:
"I think the biggest question that you think about has to be loyalty," Wade told the Tribune. "I know one thing about Miami: It is a very loyal organization. I see what they do with their players when their players get done with the game of basketball ... how loyal they are. I don't know about the Bulls."
In particular, Wade questions why Hall of Famers Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, who led the Bulls to six NBA championships, are no longer with the organization.
"I see Michael Jordan is not there, Scottie Pippen is not there ... You know, these guys are not a part," Wade told the Tribune. "Things like that. So that is probably one of the biggest things for me, because I am a very loyal person."
I want to focus on why Michael and Scottie are no longer part of the organization. First, name some NBA alums who are still part of their original teams coaching right now — no one! But I’ll tell you quite a few players who ended up aligning themselves with other teams. You could look back at Larry Bird, coach of the Indiana Pacers, not the Celtics. Isaiah Thomas, who coached the Knicks, not the Pistons. Avery Johnson coached the Mavericks, not the Spurs. Patrick Ewing was bench coach of the Magic, not the Knicks.
And if you want to talk upper-management, Kevin McHale was with the Timberwolves, not with the Celtics. Steve Kerr with the Suns, not the Bulls. I could go on. Yes, you do have Pat Riley and a few others who did coach teams they played with. You could even back to the ‘60s when there were player-coaches, but those numbers are small.
You know who is back with the Bulls? John Paxson, as general manager. Look, I know the Bulls ownership is not respected, and that’s another issue altogether. But if you want to talk about loyalty, Wade’s argument doesn't hold any weight. My message to Wade: Come to Chicago or don't — but don't talk about loyalty when you're talking about leaving Miami. It's hypocritical.
