The 45 Most Important Players to the Chicago Bulls Dynasty - #17 Cliff Levingston

Cliff Levingston
Cliff Levingston was a straight up stud for Wichita State as he averaged a double-double (points and rebounds) his first three years in college before declaring for the draft and becoming the ninth overall pick by the Detroit Pistons. After a couple years with the Pistons, Levingston had his best years with the Atlanta Hawks, getting a good amount of rebounds while shooting well from the field, although not that often as his best year, in 1987-88, he averaged 10.0 points per game.

During the 1990-91 offseason, Levingston was hard up for some cash as he was living the lavish lifestyle without the superstar money that is required to live that lifestyle. The Bulls promised to sign him to a lucrative contract where he would get $1.3 million, but they couldn't sign him yet as they were waiting for some chips to fall as the Bulls were hoping to bring in Toni Kukoc from Europe. Although they were unable to bring in Kukoc, they wanted to keep money available for him in case he changed his mind during the season. After Levingston waited all offseason, all the other teams had spent their money, and he had no choice but to accept a contract where he would make just $750,000 the first year with an option for $1.35 million for the following year. It is one of the shadiest things Jerry Krause did as General Manager, and this man did A TON of shady shit while running the personnel side for the Bulls.

So the Bulls got Levingston on a discount, but he still came in and provided useful minutes at both forward positions off the bench. In both 1990-91, and 91-92, Levingston played about 13 minutes per game, and his numbers were nearly identical in both years, putting up four points, being a solid rebounder, and providing solid defense at both forward positions. His best game was likely when he took on his former team, the Atlanta Hawks, and put up 14 points, ten rebounds, and four blocks in 22 minutes off the bench. But even as a big man, Levingston had more range than Steph Curry.

Levingston provided his most value during the 1991 playoffs. His minutes increased as the playoffs went on, and he had dougle-digit scoring games in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pistons and in the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, the latter of which he shot a perfect 5-5 from the field. In the 1992 playoffs, he provided that same reliable push off the bench at both forward positions, playing in all 22 playoff games.

After the season, he decided not to get screwed over by the Bulls in free agency and played two years in Europe before returning to the NBA with one final season with the Denver Nuggets.

He currently lives on a farm with horses, chickens, goats, and pigs. It's fitting in that he was a horse on the court, not a chicken that would back down from anyone. And although he isn't the GOAT, he's earned his right to enjoy life and pig out (Thank you folks, I'll be here all week).

Previous Entries:

#45 - Jack Haley

#44 - Rory Sparrow

#43 - Chuck Nevitt

#42 - David Vaughn

#41 - Jo Jo English

#40 - Ricky Blanton

#39 - Matt Steigenga

#38 - Joe Courtney

#37 - Keith Booth

#36 - Mark Randall

#35 - Ed Nealy

#34 - Rusty LaRue

#33 - Corey Williams

#32 - Joe Kleine

#31 - John Salley

#30 - James Edwards

#29 - Robert Parish

#28 - Darrell Walker

#27 - Rodney McCray

#26 - Dennis Hopson

#25 - Trent Tucker

#24 - Dickey Simpkins

#23 - Bobby Hansen

#22 - Scott Burrell

#21 - Bison Dele

#20 - Craig Hodges

#19 - Jud Buechler

#18 - Randy Brown

The 45 Most Important Players to the Chicago Bulls Dynasty - #25 Trent Tucker

Trent Tucker
Trent Tucker was destined for stardom when he was the sixth overall pick in the 1982 NBA Draft. In fact, his college career was so good that he managed to lead Minnesota to a Big Ten Title which was enough for him to later get his jersey retired. But Tucker fits that familiar mold that we've grown accustomed to. Never a star but long a valuable contributor in the NBA, he looked to finish up his career on the Chicago Bulls. Not only did Tucker get to play with the greatest player of all time, he acted as Michael Jordan's backup off the bench.

Tucker seems like a guy who was more fit for today's game than that of 25 years ago. He shot over 40% from three throughout his entire career, and he kept that shooting stroke until his very final year, 1992-93 when he joined up with MJ and the Chicago Bulls. It's pretty incredible how consistent Tucker was from beginning to end. Just look at this table from Basketball Reference:

So that pretty much sums up his regular season contributions.

As for the playoffs, he was basically the exact same guy. He got less playing time and threw up fewer shots, but everything basically matched what he had always done in his career. Trent Tucker was Mr. Consistency. Oh, except for one thing.

Tucker was actually a playoff hero. He decided to go beyond the consistency and catch hot fire for the decisive game six against the Phoenix Suns. In seven minutes, Tucker took four shots, and they all went in, including one three-pointer. His offensive rating was 225, and since you may not know exactly what that rate stat means, just know that Michael Jordan, who had 33 points, only put up a 120. Oh yeah, the Bulls won by a single point.

Despite his contributions in college and the NBA, Tucker's most often summarized for one thing. The Trent Tucker rule. On January 15, 1990, Tucker's Knicks trailed by one with 0.1 seconds left on the clock. They threw the ball into Tucker who caught it and nailed a three pointer. The refs thought this was humanly possible, because they apparently have no concept of how time works. After this shot, the opposing team protested, so they instituted the Trent Tucker rule where at least 0.3 seconds must be on the clock for someone to catch and shoot the ball. The team they beat that night? Yep, the Chicago Bulls.

Previous Entries:

#45 - Jack Haley

#44 - Rory Sparrow

#43 - Chuck Nevitt

#42 - David Vaughn

#41 - Jo Jo English

#40 - Ricky Blanton

#39 - Matt Steigenga

#38 - Joe Courtney

#37 - Keith Booth

#36 - Mark Randall

#35 - Ed Nealy

#34 - Rusty LaRue

#33 - Corey Williams

#32 - Joe Kleine

#31 - John Salley

#30 - James Edwards

#29 - Robert Parish

#28 - Darrell Walker

#27 - Rodney McCray

#26 - Dennis Hopson

The 45 Most Important Players to the Chicago Bulls Dynasty - #28 Darrell Walker

Darrell Walker
Darrell Walker joined the Bulls during the 1992-93 NBA season, a Chicago returning to play for his hometown team. He began his career in 1983, becoming the 12th overall selection by the New York Knicks. He then had stints in Denver, Washington, and finally, in 1991, he was traded to the hated Detroit Pistons. Walker receives no penalty for being a part of the Pistons for three reasons. First, by 1991, their dynasty had crumbled under the mighty power of the Bulls. Second, he had no choice in the matter as he was traded against his will. And finally, he may have been a sleeper cell, as during the 9 games he played in the 1992-93 season, he shot 15% from the field. Mad respect for Darrell Walker on that one.

After being released in November of 1992, the Bulls decided to kick the tires on him by giving him a 10-day contract in January of 1993. Although he struggled early on, the Bulls gave him a second 10-day contract. But he started to come around with contributions off the bench and the Bulls extended his contract through the end of the season. His best game during that regular season was against the Utah Jazz where he was 3-4 from the field with 8 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, a steal, and zero turnovers.

In the playoffs, he played in nine games, including three in the Finals. He did not exactly serve as a good luck charm as the Bulls lost two of those three games he played in during the Finals. Still, he provided competent play for short periods of time which was all his role was ever meant to be.

Incredibly, there is a highlight video of Darrell Walker's time with the Bulls.

Okay, so it was basically only a single play, but he not only tied up 6'10" Danny Manning, he then dominated him in the tip-off to help the Bulls hold on to a two-point victory.

He would retire after the season, because it really doesn't get any better than winning a title with your hometown team. After his playing career, he would go into coaching with short head coaching stints with both the Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards. The man known as the Junkyard Dog was unable to grab a ring as a coach, but I am certain that he was able to Grab Them Cakes.

Previous Entries:

#45 - Jack Haley

#44 - Rory Sparrow

#43 - Chuck Nevitt

#42 - David Vaughn

#41 - Jo Jo English

#40 - Ricky Blanton

#39 - Matt Steigenga

#38 - Joe Courtney

#37 - Keith Booth

#36 - Mark Randall

#35 - Ed Nealy

#34 - Rusty LaRue

#33 - Corey Williams

#32 - Joe Kleine

#31 - John Salley

#30 - James Edwards

#29 - Robert Parish

The 45 Most Important Players to the Chicago Bulls Dynasty - #33 Corey Williams

Corey Williams
Corey Williams was drafted at the top of the second round of the 1992 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls had this high pick in the second round as part of a deal that will involve two people that we will get to later on this list, as Bobby Hansen also headed to the Bulls in exchange for Dennis Hopson.

Although his numbers at Oklahoma State didn't stand out, his athleticism did. He was even drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 12th round of the NFL Draft despite not playing football since middle school. This was during a period where any really good athlete had the potential to become Michael Jordan which just showed how little people understood about how a Michael Jordan is created.

But Corey Williams was good enough to become a bench contributor for the 1992-93 Chicago Bulls. But for a guy who played in 35 games, he found a way to have some really nondescript contributions. Here are his season highs:

Points: 10
Rebounds: 4
Assists: 2
Steals: 1
Blocks: 1
Minutes: 23

There's not a ton to get excited about there, but I am happy that he scored double-digit points once in his career.

These numbers were not enough to earn him any playing time during the playoffs. He was waived before the following season, played a handful of games with the Minnesota Timberwolves and his NBA career was over. Williams stayed active in basketball by playing in China. He then became an assistant coach at the college level and is currently the head coach at Stetson. They are the best smelling team in college basketball.

Previous Entries:

#45 - Jack Haley

#44 - Rory Sparrow

#43 - Chuck Nevitt

#42 - David Vaughn

#41 - Jo Jo English

#40 - Ricky Blanton

#39 - Matt Steigenga

#38 - Joe Courtney

#37 - Keith Booth

#36 - Mark Randall

#35 - Ed Nealy

#34 - Rusty LaRue

The 45 Most Important Players to the Chicago Bulls Dynasty - #41 Jo Jo English

Jo Jo English
Jo Jo English did not come along at the right time. He managed to play three years with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s and was only a part of one championship team. Even that was only for a short period of time.

English went undrafted in 1992 but signed on with the Bulls for the preseason. Although he didn't make the team, he made a positive impression as the Bulls brought him back on December 2nd. Although his time with the Bulls didn't last long, he did manage to play in six games and accumulate 31 minutes of playing time.

In that time, he was not very good. He attempted three three-pointers but didn't make any. He attempted two free throws, but he missed them both. He did have three steals, but he also had four turnovers. Even though he was a rookie, the Bulls had seen enough after just 13 days and released him on December 15th.

Jo Jo did not do a ton to help that 1993 NBA Championship team, but he was a part of it. And he had a much larger role the following year as he not only played in 36 games during the regular season, he even played in seven playoff games. Oh, and I guess you could say he had quite the impact in the playoffs.

And that brawl with Derek Harper got him suspended for a grand total of one game. Had this happened during a championship season, Jo Jo would probably be 20 spots higher. Unfortunately, I was unable to confirm whether Jo Jo said this during the exchange:

Get out (leave) right now
It's the end of you and me
It's too late (now) and I can't wait for you to be gone
Cause I know
About her (who) and I wonder (why)
How I bought all the lies
You said that you would treat me right
But you was just a waste of time

I might be thinking of the wrong Jo Jo.

Previous Entries:

#45 - Jack Haley

#44 - Rory Sparrow

#43 - Chuck Nevitt

#42 - David Vaughn

The 45 Most Important Players to the Chicago Bulls Dynasty - #43 Chuck Nevitt

I just read "The Jordan Rules," Sam Smith's story of the 1990-1991 Chicago Bulls season that primarily focuses on Michael Jordan, but through nearly 400 pages, everybody gets a fair amount of ink. It made me long for those Chicago Bulls glory days, so I am going to go back and rank every player's contribution to the Bulls six NBA Titles during the 1990s.

Chuck Nevitt
Chuck Nevitt is a man who maximized his time in the NBA. He never played in more than 43 games in a single season, his career high in points was just 3.8, and that was in only six games, but this man managed to play from 1982-1994. There were three years in there where he didn't play in the NBA spread out throughout that career, but a twelve year stretch of playing in the highest organization is pretty impressive.

How did he manage this? Um, long story short (no pun intended), he was tall as shit. Seven feet, five inches, but weighing just 217 pounds. Nevitt managed to make Shawn Bradley look like Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Also, the 1991-92 Chicago Bulls were not the first championship squad that he played on, as he also won a title with the 1985 Los Angeles Lakers, making him the tallest player to ever be on a NBA Championship roster.

He played the preseason in 1991 with the Bulls but was released before the season started. Then, a few weeks later, he was signed again and would last a month with the team. In four games with the Bulls, his greatest contribution may have been the nine minutes he provided. Yes, he did have an assist, a rebound, and two points, but even that was on three field goal attempts. But in those nine minutes, he also managed two fouls and three turnovers. I can't imagine he shared the court with Michael Jordan at all, as I think Jordan notoriously hated big men and may have murdered him on the court for his performance.

Chuck Nevitt may have not been the best player in Bulls history. Actually, I think we can definitively say he wasn't. But he was the tallest, and that counts for something.

Previous Entries:

#45 - Jack Haley

#44 - Rory Sparrow

Let's Talk About the 1992 Halloween Havoc Promo

Before we get started, please watch the following video. Note: You may think it's terrible, but trust me, it gets worse, so you need to keep watching (but the final two minutes are filler so skip that), as it is rare for anything to be this fascinatingly bad...badass that is.

That's a lot to take in, so let's try our best to break it down.

Jim Ross and Jesse Ventura
Not only two legendary announcers, but also them talking about Jesse Ventura's first political victory that would eventually lead him to become the Governor of Minnesota and get his own conspiracy show.

The Doorman
A doorman opens the eye slot and says, "Spin the wheel," so Madusa, who is on the other side of th door just has to figure out a rhyme for that and she correctly follows with, "Make the deal." I would fire this doorman.

The Crowd
The crowd is a group of degenerates that react to absolutely everything. They are basically like the live-studio audience at Saved by the Bell tapings, only these people are caught on camera and cosplaying a biker gang.

The Midget
He just randomly screams pointless stuff. He's the worst, but still an essential, part of this video.

The Interaction
Jake The Snake Roberts definitely outacts poor Sting by quite a bit.

But the big thing is how they interact with each other. It is clear that Sting and Jake Roberts were not in the same room. They had an idea of what the other one was going to say, but clearly not exactly as their reactions to the other one make ZERO sense. It's amazing. Jake literally tells sting he is going to make him wish he was never born, and Sting just replies with a, "You talk too much, get to the point." The point is that he is going to beat you so badly that you will wish you were never born, were you not paying attention?

Eye Explosion

This video epitomizes early 90s WCW. It's amazing.