According to a press release from the team, the Chicago Bulls unveiled their inaugural class of the “Ring of Honor” on Tuesday. This class will recognise and honour former players, coaches, and front office staff who made exceptional contributions to help define the organisation throughout its history.
The Chicago Bulls’ initial class of the Ring of Honour will include of one team, the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls, and 13 individuals: Artis Gilmore, Phil Jackson, Michael Jordan, Johnny “Red” Kerr, Dick Klein, Jerry Krause, Toni Kukoc, Bob Love, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Jerry Sloan, Chet Walker, and Tex Winter.
The following players of the 1995–96 Bulls team, coaches, and staff will receive honours:
Players: Jud Buechler and Randy Brown Luc Longley, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, John Salley, Dickey Simpkins, Bill Wennington, Ron Harper, Michael Jordan, Steve Kerr, Toni Kukoc, and Jason Caffey
Coaches: Tex Winter, John Paxson, Jimmy Rodgers, Erik Helland, Phil Jackson, Jim Cleamons, and Jimmy Rodgers
Ivica Dukan, Clarence Gaines, Jr., Jerry Krause, John Ligmanowski, Chip Schaefer, Jim Stack, and Al Vermeil are the members of the front office.
Michael Reinsdorf, president and chief executive officer, stated, “The Chicago Bulls Ring of Honor will be a first-of-its-kind celebration honoring many of the legends who have helped shape our organization over the past 57 years.” “They have deep connections to our fans and community and represent a spirit of competition, hard work, and toughness. This January, we look forward to cementing their legacy in Bulls history and inspiring the future of our organization.”
Six benchmarks must be finished, according to team officials, in order for an individual to be honoured with the Ring of Honour:
- spending to three seasons with Chicago maximum.
- Basketball players must take a minimum of three years off from the game.
- Employees had to have contributed significantly to the Bulls, ideally in the form of league awards or names.
- Each honoree needs to have achieved something noteworthy with Chicago, contributing significantly to the team’s success, or hold a record that has stood the test of time.
- All recipients of this award must have shown outstanding ethical conduct during their playing and post-playing careers, both on and off the court.
Every player in the first class has received recognition from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame or had their retirement banners built at the United Centre, in addition to the standard evaluation standards.
The Bulls have scheduled a number of events in January to honour the inaugural class of the Ring of Honour. These include a halftime presentation on January 12 during the Bulls’ game against the Golden State Warriors and the launch of a website early in the month of January.