NEWSLETTER
I need to decide my drink of choice for tonight’s episodes of The Last Dance.
Is it more of a wine night? Maybe crack open a cold one? How about a mixed drink? The choice for the last few episodes came easier, so maybe I’ll just have to feel out the first couple minutes of episode five to get the right idea.
• New Chicago Bulls general manager Marc Eversley joined Chuck Swirsky for quite a solid Q&A. Since the interview came via the Bulls Youtube channel, I expected a bunch of meatball questions thrown Eversley’s way, but Swirsky did a great job selecting some of the more through-provoking social media questions.
• Eversley may not have the most exciting personality, but he mimics Karnisovas in that sense. Both give off a professional vibe with a side of chill, and I have to imagine their ability to mend these traits have played a key role in their success. In an industry that’s all about building relationships (be it in league circles, like Karnisovas, or among players, like Eversley), the more a relatable and focused a person can be, the better.
• Eversley has made it very clear in his first several interviews that the Bulls will have a player’s first mentality. FINALLY! I think it’s hard to deny that the Bulls have always operated with an “organizations win championships” approach. After all, that’s the style both John Paxson and Gar Forman observed from former Bulls general manager Jerry Krause. Not only has that never been the case, but we’ve seen the ramifications of living under that mantra for too long. The Bulls operated with one of the smallest front offices in basketball for years on end and drove themselves into the ground. The front office thought they could build a championship team without truly investing in their talent, whether it be through something like a Jimmy Butler max contract or a strengthened player development department. Those days are over.
• Arguably the easiest way to relate to players is to show them how badly you want to win. So while Friday might have been Eversley’s official first day, he’s already getting a head start: “I’m a winner. I want to win. I want all of our fans to know we’re going to bring a winning culture to the Chicago Bulls. I want everybody to know that when they walk into the facility every single day, everybody should be thinking about winning. What is it going to take to put our players in the best position to develop, grow, and ultimately win games.” In other words, I don’t think we’ll ever hear Eversley say “I’m not worried about the win column.”
• Also, LaVine and Eversley should get along quite well.
Zach LaVine realizes Bulls winning is next step for him https://t.co/CgRXtlDDLN pic.twitter.com/zw3E2iqO3n
— Kurt Helin (@basketballtalk) May 3, 2020
• I don’t think any new GM would bash the roster he was handed, but I legitimately believe Eversley is excited to work with this young core. In his interview with Swirsky, he mentioned how each players possess a different and unique skillset. Plus, later on in the interview, he described his preferred style of fast-paced basketball, which I’m sure is music to White and LaVine’s ear.
• We get Dream Team content on The Last Dance tonight.
The Dream Team was the best team ever assembled in any sport. You'll see how it came together tonight #TheLastDance pic.twitter.com/vgHWn8vX5t
— Michael Wilbon (@RealMikeWilbon) May 3, 2020
• We’re also supposed to get Kobe Bryant content, which I’m sure will be pretty emotional.
MJ & Kobe’s first battle (12/27/97)
Jordan:
36 points | 12-22 shooting | Bulls WKobe:
33 points | 12-20 shooting | 19-years-old#TheLastDance pic.twitter.com/MX7QtjX6Zj— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) May 3, 2020
• May 3rd, 2011 kicks May 3rd, 2020’s ass.
https://twitter.com/BN_Bulls/status/1256961940540272642?s=20
• NBC Sports Chicago helped remind us just how insane Rose’s MVP season was with some fun facts.
• BJ Armstrong is always a good listen.
New podcast with 3x NBA champ @bjarmstrong!
B.J. talks with @Jason1Goff & @Will_Perdue32 about his journey with the 90s Bulls and what it was like to be MJ's teammate. Plus, more on the day when Derrick Rose was traded. Listen: https://t.co/MRqkFjXjRH pic.twitter.com/lkRzk7WLIm
— Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) May 3, 2020
• Jimmy Butler said he would Netflix and chill with Tom Thibodeau. Not a sentence I thought I’d ever type.
sue and megan making jimmy butler play fuck marry kill about thibs, brett brown and spoelstra was lmfaooooo pic.twitter.com/nvosBFpmls
— Matt Ellentuck (@mellentuck) May 3, 2020
